(Facebook photos)
MANILA—If elected president, Senator Grace Poe will appoint closest rival Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as crime czar.
This was the reaction of Poe when asked for comment on Duterte’s statement that he will offer the tourism post if he will win in May 9 elections.
”Well, thank you for his offer. In exchange, I want to offer to him the position as crime czar because of what he said that he will finish the problems of criminality in six months,” Poe said in a media interview during a campaign sortie in Baseco compound in Tondo on Thursday.
Poe has been mentioning the name of former military Col. Ariel Querubin as her crime czar if she will prevail as the 16th president of the country.
”He (Querubin) said he will give way. That’s my offer to him (Duterte). He will be my crime czar,” Poe said.
Poe denied that an emergency meeting was held after she slid down to second place in survey behind Duterte but clarified that the survey results has been discussed in their regular strategy meetings.
”It’s not only the survey, but we’re also running out of time and that’s why have to visit more places,” she said.
She said the visit in Baseco compound was part of the intensified election campaign with only 25 days left before the national and local elections.
Tondo has the most number of voters in Manila which currently under Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada who recently endorsed Poe’s presidential bid.
Former senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, sister of former President Fidel V. Ramos, has also endorsed Poe’s candidacy.
Poe admitted that she was regularly meeting with former President Ramos who, in their last meeting, gave her a jacket as ‘good luck’ gift as from giving her advices on big issues including the West Philippine Sea.
”I’ve been meeting with him (FVR) since last year. Every time we talked, he has a lot of topics to discuss, about West Philippine Sea, economy, how to increase employment and other issues,” Poe said.
Poe said she might appoint former President Ramos as one of her senior advisers.