Cayetano: I volunteered to be standard-bearer of LP, NPC

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said he had offered himself to be considered as presidential bet of the administration’s Liberal Party (LP) and the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) but was told that they already have their own bets.

Cayetano, a member of the Nacionalista Party (NP), made this admission when asked over ABS-CBN News Channel if it was true that he offered himself to be the running-mate of LP’s standard-bearer, Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

“Totoong pinipresenta ko ang sarili ko sa NPC, sa LP as president pero meron daw silang sarili nila (It’s true that I’m offering myself to NPC, LP as president but they said they already have their own bets) ,” he said.

LP has already endorsed the presidential bid of Roxas while the NPC of businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. already met with Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero, the frontrunners in presidential and vice presidential surveys, respectively.

Poe and Escudero though have yet to declare whether or not they would seek higher posts in 2016.

“So sa VP, sinabi ko I’m open kasi alam mo in any relationship, it won’t work kung gusto mo pero ayaw nila sa’yo and vice versa. So I’m saying, I’m only not open to VP (Jejomar) Binay because of the corruption issues.”

(So as VP, I said I’m open because you know in any relationship, it won’t work even if you want to but they don’t like you and vice versa. So I’m saying, I’m only not open to VP Binay because of the corruption issues.)

“But kaibigan ko si Sec Mar, kaibigan ko na matalik si Mayor Duterte, I consider her a friend and I have a good working relationship with Senator Poe, so I can work with any of them naman,” Cayetano added.

(But Sec. Mar is my friend, Mayor Duterte is a close friend. I consider her a friend and I have a good working relationship with Senator Poe, so I can work with any of them.)

READ: Cayetano: No decision yet on who to team up with in 2016 polls

Asked why he still presented himself to the LP when it was already cleare that it would choose its own bet next year, Cayetano said: “E paano mo mo malalaman kung gusto ka kung hindi mo tatanungin, hindi ba? Hindi naman pwedng titigan lang kayo, itext o man lang.”

While he is open to run for vice president, the senator reiterated his desire to become president.

READ: Cayetano: ‘If I do run, I will run for president’ but…

“Syempre ang dream ko, ako ang president, mananaginip ka na lang vice pa, itodo mo na,” the senator said in jest.

(Of course my dream is to become president. When you dream, dream not to be a vice president–dream big.)

Cayetano said he would make his decision on the position he would run for in September. Maila Ager/IDL