Drilon confirms LP prodding Roxas to run for senator

Mar Roxas PHOTO/Raffy Lerma, PDI

The Liberal Party (LP) is prodding defeated presidential bet Mar Roxas to run for the Senate in 2019, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said on Tuesday.

“We are suggesting to him to consider it but his candidacy is a personal decision. But yes, we are suggesting to him to take a good look at it,” Drilon, vice chair of LP, said in an interview at the Senate.

“We confirm that we have asked him to consider and this is a personal decision for Senator Mar,” he added.

But Drilon said Roxas, who lost to President Rodrigo Duterte in the 2016 elections, has not made up his mind yet.

“No, he has not decided. He is also enjoying his private life,” the Minority Leader said.

Roxas himself, in a text message early in the day, was mum about his political plans.

“I’m concentrating now on my family and my mom. Marami akong utang sa kanila,” he said.

READ: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/984801/roxas-mum-on-2019-political-plans-wants-to-focus-on-family

Drilon said their party is reviewing a possible list of candidates but said he was not at liberty to make an an announcement.

At this point, however, the senator said he would be “realistic” to say that it would not be easy to field a complete a 12-man slate for the 2019 senatorial race.

“So far, we are working on a slate. It’s not easy being in the opposition and it’s a mid-term election. These are the challenges that we face,” Drilon said.

Only one opposition member, incumbent Senator Bam Aquino, who made it to the Magic 12 of possible winners in the senatorial race based on Pulse Asia’s latest survey. Roxas ranked in the survey between 14th to 19th./ac

READ: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/983919/poe-tops-pulse-asia-survey-on-magic-12-senatorial-bets