Poe-Escudero kick off rally will be ‘exciting, positive’—campaign manager

Senator Grace Poe and campaign manager, Cebu Representative Ace Durano, had only two words to describe the kick of rally of her team next week at the Plaza Miranda in Quiapo: Exciting and positive.

READ: Poe, Escudero’s ‘Partido Galing at Puso’ starts campaign in Metro Manila
 

“Exciting,” said Poe, who is running for president with running mate, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, when asked by reporters Tuesday about the kick off rally on February 9. She refused to give further details about the event.

Like the senator, Durano had only one word , which is “positive,” when asked to describe the event, considering that by the time, there is no assurance yet that the Supreme Court will come up with a decision on whether or not Poe is qualified to run for president in May.

Aside from a quo warranto petition seeking to unseat her in the Senate, Poe is also facing disqualification cases over her citizenship and residency. Both issues are now pending at the Supreme Court.

Except for Senator Ralph Recto, Durano said all senatorial bets of the team dubbed as “Partido Galing at Puso” are expected to attend the event.

“Based on our preparatory meeting last week, all will attend in person except for Senator Ralph who might just send a representative,” said the campaign manager.

Recto, who is part of the Liberal Party-led senatorial ticket, was among the five guest candidates of the Poe-Escudero slate. The four other guest candidates were Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto, former Senators Richard Gordon, and Juan Miguel Zubiri, and migrant rights advocate Susan “Toots” Ople, who were also part of the senatorial slate of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

The seven exclusive candidates of the Poe-Escudero tandem are Valenzuela Representative Sherwin Gatchalian, Pasig Representative Roman Romulo, ACT-CIS partylist Representative Samuel Pagdilao, Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, lawyer Lorna Kapunan, and actor Edu Manzano.

“(There will be) a short presentation by our candidates of their shared vision and priorities given the chance to lead and serve,” Durano said when asked what people could expect in the first salvo of their campaign.

He said there will also have intermission numbers by “national performers.” He did not elaborate.