Drilon gives up on Grace Poe as Mar Roxas’ running mate

(UPDATED 9:49 p.m.) Senate President Franklin Drilon has given up on Senator Grace Poe casting her lot behind Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as the Liberal Party standard-bearer's running mate in the 2016 elections.

Drilon said Poe, who topped the most recent presidential preference surveys by both the SWS and Pulse Asia, will run for president in next year's polls.

"I will ask the LP National Executive Council (NECO) to convene as soon as possible in order to nominate and approve our vice presidential candidate for 2016 as runningmate of Sec. Mar Roxas," Drilon said in a radio interview.

"In my view, Sen. Grace Poe is already a candidate for president. The writings are on the wall. She will run. So we prepare and complete our slate for 2016, including the senators," he added.

The Senate President is convinced that Poe is running since she has been visiting different schools and organizations for the past weeks.

"Hindi naman gagawin iyan kung hindi ka kandidato. Hindi madaling mag-ikot," he said.

However, he clarified that Poe did not tell the LP that she was no longer considering to be Roxas' running mate.

Drilon made the remarks as the deadline for the filing certificates of candidacy in October draws near.

Possible running mates

Asked about the LP's remaining options for vice president, Drilon mentioned the names of LP stalwarts Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto and Naga Rep. Leni Robredo; and Nacionalista Party members Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV.

"There are other names. That’s just an initial thought. But ang importante ay si Sen. Poe, sa tingin ko, ay kandidato na sa pagkapangulo," he said.

No less than LP chairman President Benigno Aquino III and Roxas have asked Poe to be the LP's vice presidential candidate.

Poe has yet to declare whether she's running for higher office but has already met at least three times stalwarts of the Nationalist People's Coalition, said to be the second biggest party in the country.

Others more qualified

In a previous interview, Robredo said she feels there are other people who better understand the responsibilities that go with being the vice president.

“Nandoon ako sa level na nag-aaral pa lang [ako], iniintindi pa lang kung ano itong [aking] ginagalawan. Palagay ko, ‘yung mga taong mas matagal na sa akin at mas malawak ang karanasan, sila ‘yung mas nasa posisyong i-consider [ang pagiging vice president],” she told reporters at the House of Representatives Wednesday.

During a forum to commemorate the third death anniversary of Robredo's late husband Interior Sec. Jesse Robredo, Aquino described her as "one of [the] most reliable" members of Congress.

Congresswoman Vi

Santos on Tuesday said she is not interested in running for vice president in the 2016 elections but might consider running for representative of Batangas province.

"Wala pang pormal na usapan pero hindi ko inaambisyon 'yan," Santos told reporters, referring to the vice presidency. "Wala po 'yan sa plano ko, hindi naman ako interesado."

"Batangas ang nagbigay sa akin ng tiwala, Batangas ang gusto kong pagsilbihan," she added.

A multi-awarded actress, Santos said there is no final decision yet and bared she is also planning to return to the show business.

"Nasa last term na ako hindi pa namin napag-uusapan kung ano ang plano. I may consider running for congresswoman of Batangas. Wala pang pinal kasi I miss doing films din," she said.

In a previous interview, Cayetano said that he has received feelers from Roxas' camp to be the secretary's running mate.

Trillanes, on the other hand, that the probability of his running for vice president was at 100 percent. -NB/JST, GMA News