Mar options open; Binay eyes Miriam

MANILA, Philippines - Administration presidential candidate Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II is keeping his options open in the event Sen. Grace Poe declines the offer to be his running mate.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, on the other hand, revealed Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is being considered by his party, United Nationalist Alliance, as a possible running mate.

“She is one of those being considered by our search committee,” Binay said.

Roxas, for his part, declined to name the others being considered to be his running mate.

He only said Poe has the right to determine when she will decide on his offer to run as his vice president.

“It’s not like it has a deadline or what. Look, there’s a filing date, one day, one week, one month before that or near that is not material. Let’s not treat it like a play by play, who talks to whom, what was agreed upon when,” Roxas said on the sidelines of the League of Provinces of the Philippines Assembly in Pasig City yesterday.

“We have a deadline right? It will be in October. We can’t rush it just like that,” he added.

When asked if he has a Plan B in case Poe rejects his offer, Roxas replied: “C, D, E and F.”

Poe, who topped recent surveys for presidential and vice presidential bets, is being wooed by the Liberal Party-led administration coalition to run as its vice presidential candidate.

Administration allies believe Poe will play a key role in sustaining the gains of President Aquino’s tuwid na daan (straight path) policy.

Poe has yet to decide on the offer even as she stressed that the straight path is not exclusive to one group.

President Aquino previously admitted Poe would be the “game changer” if she decides to run against Roxas, as the votes of his supporters may be divided.

Roxas, who recently admitted that his survey numbers remain low, said LP’s goal of continuing Aquino’s straight path is not about personalities.

“The straight path is not about Mar (Roxas’ nickname) or P-Noy (President Aquino) or any person. Straight path is our way towards a bright future,” he said.

Roxas ranked third behind Poe and Binay in the Social Weather Stations survey released last June.

His ranking in the latest Pulse Asia survey was not any better, as he landed in fourth place behind Poe, Binay and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

When asked if there are some individuals who are applying to be his running mate, Roxas did not give a direct answer.

“Let’s just say we are ensuring that our team is strong and complete so we can strengthen and continue the straight path,” he said.

Previous reports said among those being eyed as LP’s vice presidential candidate are Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos, Sen. Alan Cayetano and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo.

 No rush

 Budget secretary and LP stalwart Florencio Abad said a meeting with Poe “should be happening soon” but maintained that such talks should not be rushed.

“These are delicate negotiations and I don’t think you can rush them. Give us enough time because October is still a month or two away,” Abad said. 

“It’s a totally new game now and I think the ball is being carried by Secretary Mar so I would imagine all initiatives now will be coming from SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government), of course in consultation with the President,” he added.

When asked until when the LP is willing to wait for Poe, Abad replied: “I’m as impatient as you.”

When asked if he thinks a Roxas-Poe tandem is unstoppable, Abad said there is no such thing as 100 percent sure in politics.

“But if this race is reduced to a one on one fight, then I think the secretary will have a very good chance,” the budget chief said.

Abad also shrugged off issues about Poe’s citizenship, calling it a “non-issue.”

“If we believe that, we will not be pursuing her,” he said.

A defeated senatorial candidate, Rizalito David, filed a petition against Poe before the Senate Electoral Tribunal yesterday seeking her disqualification as senator because she is a foundling and thus not a natural-born Filipino.

Lawyer Oliver Lozano, on the other hand, filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman, saying Roxas’ continued stay in the DILG is a violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard for Public Officials.

He said Roxas, as a candidate and DILG secretary at the same time, constitutes conflict of interest.  – Helen Flores, Perseus Echeminada, Celso Amo