NPC won’t announce party stand for 2016 during ‘fellowship’ meeting –Sotto

The "fellowship and consultation" meeting held by the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) with Senators Grace Poe and Francis "Chiz" Escudero Tuesday night is not indicative of a party stand for the 2016 national elections, Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III said.

"This is just a fellowship and consultation... Imposible [mag-announce kami tonight]. May iba pa kaming iko-consult," Sotto told reporters.

The meeting in Quezon City was held hours after some 12 NPC congressmen met with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the administration's presumptive standard bearer in 2016, at the Liberal Party (LP) headquarters in Cubao.

Sotto downplayed the congressmen's meeting with Roxas, emphasizing that it was not initiated by the NPC.

"That's a different story. Over here kasi is the NPC meeting itself. That is not an NPC meeting," he said.

"Wala pa namang party stand. Oras na meron ng official party stand, most probably the members will follow," Sotto added.

Leaders of the NPC have earlier said that majority of party members are in favor of a Poe-Escudero tandem in 2016. Escudero is a former member of the NPC.

Both Poe and Escudero have yet to categorically state their plans for the 2016 elections. —KBK, GMA News