MANILA – Malacanang remains hopeful that Senator Grace Poe will agree to run as running mate of administration’s standard bearer Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas in the 2016 elections.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda made this statement after a local group from Naga City lunched ‘Leni Robredo for Vice President Movement’, pushing the widow of the late Interior Secretary Jess Robredo as Roxas’ tandem if Poe will not accept offer.
”At the moment, we are still hoping that Senator Grace Poe would consider being the co-pilot of Secretary Mar Roxas. But there are other people who feel that there are other candidates for that particular position,” Lacierda said.
”We are agnostic about it because right now we’re looking at Senator Grace Poe. We are still hoping that Senator Grace Poe would look into (it) and consider being vice president of the tandem with Mar Roxas,” he added.
Lacierda, however, agreed with Liberal Party (LP) congressman Erin Tanada that the ruling party cannot wait Poe ‘forever.’
”Just for the record, and I will say this with all the love – the truth, there is no really forever,” the Palace spokesman said.
Meanwhile, LP stalwart and Budget Secretary Florencio ‘Butch’ Abad said Poe is the best option for vice president for Roxas.
Abad, however, said Roxas has to make formal invitation that he wanted Poe as his running mate under the administration’s ticket.
”There has to be an invitation to formally settle these things once and for all,” Abad said in a media interview after briefing the Senate finance committee on the 2016 National Expenditure Program by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).