Bongbong still weighing his options in 2016

Senate committee on local government chairman Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. discusses many issues including a BBL committee report he is preparing and will be submitted for plenary debates after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Aquino III. With Sen. Marcos is Kapihan sa Manila Bay host and Philippine Star columnist Marichu Villanueva (Jelly F. Musico / PNA)

MANILA – With just 11 months left before the next presidential election, Senator Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remains undecided whether to seek the presidency in the 2016 polls.

”I have not yet decided because it’s not clear to me who is running with who,” Marcos told the reporters in the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay at the Luneta Hotel on Wednesday.

Marcos said even his own political Nacionalista Party (NP) is still weighing options and so other political parties like the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and even the ruling Liberal Party (LP).

”Although the LP is presumed to endorse Secretary (Mar) Roxas, they still haven’t done it. NP has not made any declaration, neither have NPC. Neither have Lakas. None of the parties have taken a position yet. It’s difficult to determine what is the political landscape,” Marcos said.

Marcos, son of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos, said the political party plays important role to any candidate seeking higher national positions.

”If you will run for a national position, you cannot do it without strong machinery because I really consider the party machinery to be critical to any successful national campaign,” Marcos said.

Aside from Marcos, among the possible presidential candidates in the 2016 polls include Senator Grace Poe, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Roxas, and Marcos’ partymate Alan Peter Cayetano.

Vice President Jejomar Binay has announced several times his plan to run for the presidency in next year’s election.

”If Grace will say ‘I’m running,’ like Duterte will say, ‘I’m running’, that’s the time things will start to fall into place and you’ll know more or less what’s happening,” Marcos said.

Marcos said NP president Manny Villar has decided to take a very circumspect stand on the situation, specially now that Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has declared he will run for vice president ‘with or without NP’s endorsement.’

”We (in the NP) talk all the time. The NP is quite solid, quite cohesive. We end up becoming the swing vote in many instances,” Marcos said.

Marcos said NP is expected to announce soon its political plans in the 2016 elections.