NPC members now openly supporting Poe following endorsement

Members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) have become more open with their support to the candidacy of Sen. Grace Poe since the party formally endorsed them earlier this week.

Two days after the NPC announced its endorsement of her tandem with Sen. Francis Escudero, Poe said she is already feeling the weight of the party’s support at the grassroots level.

“Dati noong wala pa kaming NPC endorsement, ang mga naglalakas-loob na tulungan kami ay yung mga independent candidates. Pero ngayon, nakakagaan at malaking bagay talaga na ‘yung aming mga nakaayos na na rally at pagbisita sa mga probinsiya ay lumalabas na ang mga suporta ng mga local governments na tumatakbo mula sa NPC,” she said during a sortie in Pampanga Wednesday.

NPC president and House Deputy Speaker Giorgidi Aggabao earlier said the party’s machinery will now be at Poe and Escudero’s disposal now that they have been named as its presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively.

Aggabao said 90 percent of NPC members support the candidacies of Poe and Escudero although they expect all stalwarts to “toe the line” and heed the party’s decision in the coming days.

NPC, which is founded by business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., is considered the second largest political party in the country. It has fielded a total of 4,129 candidates for various national and local positions in the upcoming elections.

Despite the party’s announcement, Escudero has maintained that he and Poe will not join the NPC and will remain independent candidates.

And while not all NPC members support the leadership’s decision, Poe said she is leaving party officials to decide how to deal with them.

“Basta pagdating sa mga party decision hayaan na natin ang liderato ng mga partido na makipag-usap sa kanila. Pero taliwas sa sinasabi ng iba, marami sa NPC ang noon pa naming nakakausap pero ginagalang nila ang desisyon ng kanilang partido. Siyempre, sa kahit naman anong organisasyon meron namang mga iba na nagkakaroon ng salungat na pananaw,” she said.

In an apparent swipe at her rivals, Poe added that there are members of other political parties who have also been helping in her campaign.

“Ayaw naman natin magyabang katulad ng iba pero may mga galing din sa sa partido nila na dati pa namang tumutulong na rin sa amin,” she said.

With the exception of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, other presidential contenders have downplayed NPC’s endorsement of Poe and Escudero’s tandem, saying the party is not solidly behind the two senators.  — APG, GMA News