‘No LP breakup with choice of Mar’

MANILA, Philippines - There will be no break-up of the ruling Liberal Party after Interior Secretary Mar Roxas was declared as the administration’s presidential candidate in the 2016 elections, LP leaders said yesterday.

LP vice chairman and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. issued the statement amid persistent rumors that the party is headed for a split over President Aquino’s endorsement of Roxas, who is trailing behind Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Grace Poe in the presidential surveys.

“Now, we don’t have differing opinions, we have only one opinion to rally behind Roxas,” Belmonte said after Roxas accepted Aquino’s endorsement during a gathering at Club Filipino in Greenhills on Friday.

“From the very beginning, there were no talks that LP will not be leading to that (endorsement other than Roxas),” he said.

Reps. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar and Winston Castelo of Quezon City, both LP stalwarts, said Roxas’ declaration to run for president is expected to boost the morale of LP members and galvanize them to ensure his victory in 2016.

Reps. Christopher Belmonte of Quezon City and Francis Gerald Abaya of Cavite said they expect other parties belonging to the administration coalition, including the National Unity Party (NUP), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and Nacionalista Party, to keep the alliance intact in support of Roxas.

Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga of the NUP said Roxas has emerged as the man to beat after securing Aquino’s endorsement.

“He is the only one who can continue what P-Noy has started and this is our battle cry – continuity – and this is Mar’s strongest card,” Barzaga said, adding the achievements of the administration – good governance, transparency, accountability and sustained economic growth – would propel Roxas’ presidential bid.

Barzaga said another edge Roxas possesses over his rivals is the established political machinery of the LP and its allies, many of whom are running unopposed in their provinces, districts, cities and municipalities.

“With a machinery like that in place, it will be a lot easier to campaign for a Roxas presidency in the grassroots level where administration allies are entrenched,” he said.

Roxas-Poe tandem

The LP leaders said they would still push for a tandem of Roxas and Poe, who is being urged by NPC leaders to run for president with Sen. Francis Escudero as her running mate.

Belmonte said he thinks the President will still try to convince Poe to be Roxas’ running mate.

Aquino had mentioned his meetings with Roxas, Poe and Escudero in his endorsement speech.

“I think the President will still try to do that (meet)… but if they (Escudero and Poe) are determined (to go on their own) we cannot do anything about it,” the Speaker said.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said a Roxas-Poe tandem is something the administration prefers, owing to the senator’s popularity.