By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS
“THE President and I talked for about five hours. I could sense the very difficult position PNoy is in right now. I understand and sympathize with his predicament and situation. I consider him a true and sincere friend and he has my utmost respect. He reiterated his desire for all of us to continue working together and that he believes that, like him, we can and will do what is best for our country. In the end, we both agreed to continue, in whatever capacity, striving and working for our countrymen and for the betterment of our children’s future.”
That’s the statement of Sen. Grace Poe on her one-on-one meeting with President Aquino last Monday.
I agree with this playful remark in Facebook by Bryan E. Torculas: “Me reading between the lines: iindorso man kita o hindi, friends tayo ha pag nanalo kang Presidente. wag mo ko ipakulong, let’s break the tradition of imprisoning Phil. Presidents after their terms.. ha ha…”
With that assurance from the popular senator, it is hoped that Aquino would stop convincing Poe to be the running mate of the Liberal Party standard bearer. It’s getting tiresome.
The whole exercise is actually an insult to Poe and Roxas. When actually, it’s all about Aquino trying to spare himself the difficult task of endorsing a loser.
Aquino’s wish for Poe to run as vice president of Roxas is not really because he and the Liberal Party think that the lady senator’s popularity would rub on Roxas and win him more votes. They are political veterans; they know that a strong vice president does not lift a weak president. Recall 1998 elections: Gloria Arroyo was of no help to Jose de Venecia against Joseph Estrada. Also in 1992, Estrada was not able to boost Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco’s presidential bid against Fidel Ramos.
What they want Grace Poe to do is to get out of the way of Mar Roxas’ long-planned march to Malacañang. They are devious.
Having taken care of Vice President Jejomar Binay, an early frontrunner for the 2016 presidential race, with exposes on alleged massive corruption in Makati, the LP thought Roxas would only be up against fellow presidential lightweights senators Alan Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
They didn’t reckon with the emergence of Poe as a presidential contender.
That’s the reason Aquino and the LP want Grace in their fold but as Mar’s vice president. They actually want to suppress and dim Grace’s rising political star.
A source close to the LP said the first meeting of Aquino, Poe, Escudero and Roxas was so embarrassing for Mar.
Contrary to reports that it was Poe who set as a condition Escudero joining her and Mar in going around the country, it was Aquino who proposed, “Isama nyo na si Chiz.”
One can imagine how Roxas must have felt when the President suggested that.
When it was getting clear that Grace preferred a Poe-Escudero team-up, the LP insulted her by saying “oh she is okay but that she is being controlled by Chiz.” It’s like saying she has no mind of her own.
The LP must have conveniently forgotten the 2004 elections when they were in partnership with Gloria Arroyo in insulting and undermining the candidacy of Grace Poe’s father, Fernando Poe Jr.
The LP was a member of the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4) against Fernando Poe, Jr’s Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP).
Roxas topped the senatorial race (Remember Mr. Palengke?) under Arroyo’s K-4 coalition.
During the congressional canvassing of the votes of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates the LP actively suppressed questions on questionable results raised by the opposition. Remember Sen. Francis Pangilinan’s “Noted, Noted” whenever then senators Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Tessie Aquino-Oreta brought to their attention number of votes exceeding number of registered votes in Maguindanao precincts? Remember Hello Garci?
And who raised the hand and proclaimed Gloria Arroyo the winner of the 2004 elections in the wee hours of the morning while the Filipino people were fast asleep? The LP’s Franklin Drilon as Senate President.
And Aquino and the LP want Poe to sacrifice for their candidate?
Ano sila sinuswerte?
