Roco rejects offer to be Arroyo’s running mate

Thanks, but no thanks.

Former education secretary and declared presidential aspirant Raul Roco yesterday claimed rejecting an offer by allies of President Arroyo to be her running mate for the May 2004 presidential elections.

Roco made the disclosure as he virtually confirmed plans by Mrs. Arroyo to seek a full term in next year’s polls.

"Essentially, they (allies) were asking me to be the vice presidential candidate... We reject any and all invitations to be the vice president to President Arroyo or anybody else for that matter," he said.

Roco said "high officials" came to his house late Thursday "purportedly on their own to seek ways for working together for the (election) of President Arroyo."

Without identifying the officials, Roco said he was forced to reveal the move after reports came out that he agreed to settle for the vice presidential slot. He claimed Mrs. Arroyo’s camp was also trying to bring him down in the surveys.

Roco maintained that when Mrs. Arroyo announced last Dec. 30 her withdrawal from the presidential race next year, she "admitted failure in governance" on her part.

Roco also said he could never work with Mrs. Arroyo as a running mate and that the country cannot afford six more years of her presidency.

"The present government is out of direction, out of hope and out of luck," he said.

The former senator also slammed Mrs. Arroyo for her failure to deliver her promises when she was installed into power by EDSA II forces.

"She said she would revive the economy but there are more hungry, there are more poor, there are more unattended sick people and fees are being collected again in the public school system," Roco said.

He said Mrs. Arroyo also failed to "heal the wounds" caused by the July 27 mutiny staged by disgruntled junior military officers and servicemen.

"She (also) said she will work for clean and honest elections but there is widespread apprehension for disorderly elections," he said.

Roco earlier declared his intention of running for president, several months after topping national surveys after quitting his post as education secretary on Aug. 13, 2002.

Roco ran for president in 1998 under the Aksyon Demokratiko but lost to Joseph Estrada. Estrada was booted out 31 months into his term by a military-backed popular uprising in early 2001 following corruption allegations.

Then Vice President Gloria Arroyo succeeded Estrada in January 2001 and appointed Roco as education secretary after serving his term as senator.