Binay camp tells Poe to finish term before running again

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, holds a copy of the Senate Committee Report on the Mamasapano Incident Investigation during a press conference on Tuesday (March 17, 2015) at the Senate Bldg. in Pasay City (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA — Vice President Jejomar Binay’s spokesperson on Tuesday said that Senator Grace Poe should finish her six-year term as senator before running for a higher position.

“She has not even fully served her term,” Lawyer JV Bautista told reporters at a briefing.

Bautista, who is also the interim secretary-general of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said that Poe should respect the vote of the people who elected her as senator.

”Perhaps she owes it to the people, or at the very least those who voted for her, to serve out her term.”

This is despite Binay’s earlier statement saying he wanted Poe to be his running mate for 2016.

Poe rejected the idea and is still yet to decide if she will run for President in the 2013 elections.

Suppose she decides to run, Bautista said she should run with Binay and with Liberal Party members.

Bautista added that some members of LP came from Lakas, the ruling party during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s term.

”If Senator Poe runs with the LP, she would running with people who tormented and cheated her late father,” said Bautista.

”Perhaps that’s one of the reasons the Vice President felt that if Senator Grace Poe would run, the most natural people for her to go with would be those people who helped her father,” he added.