Aquino inspects projects, repeats LP invite to Poe

Sen. Grace Poe talks to the media outside the USC Main Gymnasium before meeting the students for the opening of their Intramurals. (CDN PHOTO/ TONEE DESPOJO)

President Benigno Aquino III is still hopeful that Sen. Grace Poe will accept the Liberal Party’s invitation to her become the running mate of former Interior and Local Governments Secretary Mar Roxas in next year’s election.

Aquino is in Cebu to inspect road projects under his administration and to meet Liberal Party supporters and allies at the Cebu Coliseum this afternoon.  Roxas accompanied Aquino.

Incidentally, Poe is also in Cebu to attend the opening celebration of the intramurals of the University of San Carlos. Poe was invited by Tingog Carlonian Party, a student council party.

The event organizers prevented the media from covering the event to avoid event to be “politicized.”

In an ambush interview earlier with Poe outside the USC Main Gymnasium, she said her visit was planned two weeks ago and she didn’t expect it to coincide with the President’s visit.

“It is also a chance to talk to them kasi nga kadalasan pag pumupunta ako ng Cebu wala akong pagkakataon na makadalaw ng unibersidad (because often when I visit Cebu, I don’t have the chance to visit a university),” Poe told the reporters.

Nicole Ann Ponce, former president of USC Student Council denied that the visit of Poe was politically related.

“Since she (Poe) is in Cebu we also want to see her and meet with other student leaders of Tingog Carolinian and Junior Jaycees quick. No big deal here.

Actually we have not prepared streamers and banners. Even our administration was informed last weekend,” Ponce said.

Aquino visited the Mactan Circumferential road in Lapu-Lapu City and and the road concreting project along Sergio Osmena road at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City.

He then went to the DPWH Cebu City district motorpool where a project briefing was conducted and a brief press conference was held.

He thanked the Cebuanos for accompanying him in his “daang matuwid” (straight path) and said the multi-billion pesos worth of infrastructure projects prove that Cebu was not left out during his administration.

Mr. Aquino also said that he has not lost hope that Poe will join Roxas in the next election as his running mate and that their communication line is still open.

Aquino denied that LP is behind the attacks against Grace Poe. “Ano ang pakinabang namin kung gagawin namin yan (How would it benefit us if we did it),” he told reporters.