PNoy bats for LP bet Mar Roxas in Davao City

President Benigno Aquino III continued his endorsement tour for his anointed possible successor Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on Thursday, this time in Davao City.

In an event again dubbed as a "gathering of friends," Aquino told the audience that Roxas worked to bring relief and services to those in need, even when there were no media to cover his activities.

Weeks before the start of the filing of certificates of candidacy, Aquino had already promoted Roxas' presidential bid in similar events in Manila and in Cebu City.

Other presidential hopefuls Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Grace Poe have also been going around the country.

The campaign period won't start until February next year.

Unlike Roxas and Binay, however, Poe has yet to declare whether she was running for a higher office in 2016.

“Ano ba ang pinagkaiba ni Mar sa mga ibang masasabi nating naghahangad ng puwesto? Si Mar ho nagba-babad,” Aquino said.

The President said Roxas was already in Tacloban even before typhoon Yolanda hit, and stayed in the province until basic services such as electricity and access to water were restored.

“Hindi ho dumating, nagdala ng ilang pirasong relief goods, nagpalitrato, nagpa-video, ‘may malasakit ako.’ Wala akong pinapatamaan. Bato-bato sa langit na lang,” Aquino said.

Among those who have been criticized during the relief operations for typhoon victims was opposition leader and presumptive presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Binay’s camp has denied that the relief bags had stickers or markings from the Office of the Vice President.

Aquino also described Roxas as a hardworking member of the Cabinet, who was always ready to risk his life to making sure he’s on top of the situation.

“Sa kanyang trabaho bilang ating kalihim, ilang pagkakataon na isinugal niya ang buhay niya para totohanang matutukan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan kaagad-agad?" Aquino said.

"Sa Zamboanga, noong krisis, nauna siya sa akin. Nauna na siya sa akin, nahuli pa siyang umalis sa akin,” he added.

The president added that Roxas didn’t have an “it’s-all-about-me” attitude when it came to politics, citing as an example the 2010 national elections when Roxas sacrificed his personal ambition for the sake of the majority.

“‘Yun ho ang baliktad ng pulitiko na kapag humarap sa taumbayan puro umpisa ng salita, ‘Ako.’ ‘Ako ang magdadala ng tulay sa iyo. Ako ang magbibigay ng eskuwelahan sa iyo. Ako ang gagawa ng trabaho. Ako.’ Dapat kabahan ho tayo kapag puro ‘ako’,” Aquino said.

“Pero alam naman ho natin ‘yung masyadong nagsasalita ng ‘ako’, nakasentro sa sarili. Ang trabaho hong ito, nakatutok sa iba eh. Wala hong mangyayari kung hindi nakatutok sa iba,” he added. —NB, GMA News