Many were excited to hear yesterday who President Aquino would announce as standard bearer of the Liberal Party for the 2016 elections. (They’ll have to wait though until after the State of the Nation Address.)
Many are speculating that it will be Secretary Mar Roxas despite the popularity of Sen. Grace Poe, who has also shown interest in running for president in 2016.
Poe figured so well in recent surveys despite the question over her residency qualification.
Then there’s the issue of her competence in handling bigger issues of the country. Poe answered that before by saying that what is important is a pure intention to serve. May I add, so is the importance of a track record in governance.
The presidency should not be an office for on-the-job training. I think it would be right for President Aquino to anoint Secretary Mar Roxas who has a track record in managing affairs of the country.
After all, he sacrificed his political ambition by giving way to Aquino in the 2010 elections for the good of the country.
It was the ultimate sacrifice for a man like Roxas.
Poe should stop listening to Chiz Escudero; the man is not going to bring good things to her political career and would eventually destroy it.
Poe should realize that she cannot depend solely on her popularity which is fleeting but must work to strengthen the foundation of her political career.
It’s still premature of Poe to run for president. She is new in politics and has no track record to speak of.
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The Iglesia ni Cristo has been rocked with controversy with the expulsion from the church of the brother and mother of the INC head over allegations of anomalies in the Iglesia ni Cristo.
What happened was unfortunate but the issue of corruption should be looked into by church leaders in order to nip the scandal in the bud.
As a religious group the INC is very influential to the extent that it can sway the administration in deciding certain issues and the appointment of certain officials.
Their members strictly follows the mandate of their leaders and vote as a block.
Today our country has an Iglesia vote but not a Catholic vote.
Some quarters say this shows a weakness in unity of the Catholic Church but the church exercises democracy and respects free will.
It tells parishioners what to do and what is right or wrong but does not force people to do something if it is contrary to their beliefs.
It’s up to people to discern, understand and do what they think is right and morally correct.
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In the political front, it has been reported that the President is giving Mar Roxas the right to choose his vice presidential bet.
Among those named as possible choices are Senators Peter Allan Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes, former actress and public servant Vilma Santos and Rep. Lenny Robredo, widow of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.
If I were Roxas, I would narrow my choice to Santos or Robredo.
Santos has bailiwick in the province of Batangas and Robredo in the province of Bicol.
Both are not weighed down by negative controversies like Cayetano and Trillanes.
Santos already intimated that she is not running in a higher office but Robredo is open to the idea.
She said that if she has to choose, she would rather serve her constituents in Bicol but is open to serving in a higher office.
I prefer Robredo as the running mate of Roxas because she has exemplified a simple life in public service. Leny still travels by bus between Manila and her home in Bicol.
Vice President Jejomar Binay still has to decide on his running mate. Apparently candidates are still very scarce especially that Binay is hounded by issues of graft and corruption.
Some politicians are distancing themselves from Binay, but I heard he is seriously considering Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
The only problem is that Rodrigo is a very close friend of Roxas and has vowed publicly not to run if Roxas make a bid for the presidency.
Another person considered by Binay is Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who is jailed in connection with the pork barrel scam.
Estrada has not yet been convicted and still enjoys the presumption of innocence.
The Estradas are still popular in Metro Manila and Binay would get the support of Mayor Joseph Estrada.
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