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Drilon: Duterte’s refusal to run in 2016 favorable to Roxas
By , AMITA LEGASPI, GMA News
(Updated 8:24 p.m.) Senate President Franklin Drilon on Tuesday said the administration’s presumptive bet for the 2016 presidential elections - Interior Secretary Mar Roxas - will benefit from Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's decision not to take part in next year's polls.
“The field is now down to three, I assume, with Senator [Grace] Poe as part of it. It is better. We are the administration. You would have two representing the opposition,” Drilon told reporters, referring to Vice President Jejomar Binay as the other opposition candidate.
Asked if Duterte’s decision would favor Roxas, the Senate leader replied in the affirmative.
“Certainly. The platform that the party will be presenting is the Daang Matuwid. We are the administration and we will defend that policy,” he said,
“Certainly. The platform that the party will be presenting is the Daang Matuwid. We are the administration and we will defend that policy,” he said,
On Monday, Duterte announced that he will not seek the presidency in 2016 as he is retiring from public life next year.
"I believe it's no longer my time. I will retire after my term,” Duterte said at a press conference in Davao City.
Trillanes: Poe to benefit
But for Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, it is Poe who will benefit from Duterte’s absence in the presidential race.
“Base sa aming survey, sa three-way race, sina Grace Poe, Secretary Mar, and VP Binay, ang makikinabang si Sen. Grace Poe, kapag wala si Duterte. Not necessarily lahat ng boto ni Duterte, but the bulk of it will go to Grace than to other groups,” he told reporters, referring to the internal survey of his group, Magdalo.
He said they are running another survey to determine if the negative comments on Poe’s statement defending the rally of Iglesia ni Cristo members on EDSA, which had affected many motorists and commuters, would affect her.
Trillanes said Magdalo’s support to Poe will not waver despite the issues against her.
“Hindi naman survey-based ang aming suporta. Hindi naman iba naman ang statement nya. Kumbaga, admittedly, Sen. Poe is new to the game, there will be missteps, for as long as these missteps are not fatal, then we should allow her that space,” he said.
He said he believes Poe’s statement was taken out of proportion, but she would be able to learn from it.
“I didn’t see anything inherently evil about it. She stated a position, which a lot of people may not agree with, but that does not make her evil in anyway. So doon muna tayo, ako, I may not necessarily agree with her statement but it is not like she plundered the country,” he said.
“I believe she has learned a lot of lessons from that experience, so definitely we expect her to be more circumspect next time,” he added.
NPC endorsement
Trillanes: Poe to benefit
But for Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, it is Poe who will benefit from Duterte’s absence in the presidential race.
“Base sa aming survey, sa three-way race, sina Grace Poe, Secretary Mar, and VP Binay, ang makikinabang si Sen. Grace Poe, kapag wala si Duterte. Not necessarily lahat ng boto ni Duterte, but the bulk of it will go to Grace than to other groups,” he told reporters, referring to the internal survey of his group, Magdalo.
He said they are running another survey to determine if the negative comments on Poe’s statement defending the rally of Iglesia ni Cristo members on EDSA, which had affected many motorists and commuters, would affect her.
Trillanes said Magdalo’s support to Poe will not waver despite the issues against her.
“Hindi naman survey-based ang aming suporta. Hindi naman iba naman ang statement nya. Kumbaga, admittedly, Sen. Poe is new to the game, there will be missteps, for as long as these missteps are not fatal, then we should allow her that space,” he said.
He said he believes Poe’s statement was taken out of proportion, but she would be able to learn from it.
“I didn’t see anything inherently evil about it. She stated a position, which a lot of people may not agree with, but that does not make her evil in anyway. So doon muna tayo, ako, I may not necessarily agree with her statement but it is not like she plundered the country,” he said.
“I believe she has learned a lot of lessons from that experience, so definitely we expect her to be more circumspect next time,” he added.
NPC endorsement
Meanwhile, Drilon, who sits as vice chairman of the ruling Liberal Party, also expressed confidence that Roxas will get the endorsement of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, the second largest party in the country.
“Certainly (I’m hoping he will get the endorsement). The NPC is a very valuable ally in 2013 and we want to continue that in 2016,” he said.
Roxas is set to meet with NPC members Tuesday evening. It will mark the second time that Roxas will be meeting some members of the NPC, the first one being on August 11.
The NPC had also met with Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero last month and with Binay on Monday noon. To date, Poe and Escudero have yet to categorically state their political plans for 2016.
But when asked if the Liberal Party is interested in getting Duterte as the running mate of Roxas, Drilon said they have yet to discuss the matter. — RSJ/KBK, GMA News
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