By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS
THE call of Liberal Party’s Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice for Sen. Grace Poe to be more transparent on the issue of her residency in the Philippines signals the drawing of the line between Poe and the Liberal Party’s presidential bet, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.
Erice was quoted as saying that he believes that the lady senator, whose surging popularity makes her the frontrunner in the 2016 presidential elections, is a natural born Filipino citizen and should have no problem with the Constitutional requirement of citizenship for the presidency.
Erice said it’s in the requirement of a 10-year residency immediately preceding before the election that it’s not clear whether Poe is qualified or not. “”Si Senator Poe is a natural born Filipino, wala dapat mag-question doon. But I think Senator Grace should be more transparent as far as accusation she’s been using US passport 2006, 2007, 2009, according to former Senator Tatad,” the LP congressman said.
Erice sounded like United Nationalist Alliance interim president and Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco who first exposed the issue of Poe’s residency after the lady senator turned down Vice President Jejomar Binay’s offer for her to be his running mate.
Roxas also wanted Poe to be his running mate but the latter also declined.
The message behind Erice’s statement is: “Don’t run now. Do it in 2022 when you have met the residency requirement.”
Or to be more blatant about it, Erice is telling Grace, “ Don’t run against our candidate, Mar Roxas.”
LP is worried because indications are getting clearer that Poe might run for president as an independent with Sen. Chiz Escudero as vice president.
Sources said a number of businessmen, known to be sources of election campaign funds are encouraging Poe to run.
The popular Poe running as president has rendered askew the plans of the Liberal Party for Roxas in 2016.
LP leaders thought that Binay, who defeated Roxas in the 2010 vice presidential race, was the only block to Roxas’ finally making it to Malacañang in 2016 after he gave up that dream in 2010 in favor of Aquino.
LP thought they succeeded in getting rid of Binay as a contender in the 2016 race after the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigation on the allegedly overpriced Makati Parking Building 2 led to more exposes of the Binay’s unexplained wealth.
Binay and his son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay are facing plunder charges before the Ombudsman. It is expected that the charges would be filed before the Sandiganbayan soon which could lead to possible detention of the vice president. His wife, former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay, is also facing graft charges.
While Binay’s rating continues to decline, Poe’s soars. Roxas, meanwhile, remains among the cellar dwellers.
The entry of Poe in the presidential race gives Aquino a choice to endorse a candidate with better chance of winning in the 2016 elections to protect him once he is out of Malacañang.
Supporters of Roxas say that Aquino has been known not to abandon a friend in difficult times. But political observers point out, “Is Mar among those considered by Aquino as ‘close friend’?’’
Roxas is not a Ronnie Puno or an Alan Purisima. He was not even taken into confidence by Aquino in the Mamasapano operation.
After failing to bring Poe in to their fold to contain her political surge, The Liberal Party is now joining UNA’s efforts to disqualify her.
A sign of desperation.
***
Last Monday I wrote that the difficulty of Binay to get persons he is eyeing as running mate to accept his offer does not augur well for his presidential bid.
But, even if Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada declined Binay’s offer for him to be his running mate in the 2016 elections, the latter can still retain the team title that he coined: BEST (Binay-Estrada).
Binay can get Sen. Jinggoy Estrada who has been charged with plunder for his misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund and is currently in detention as his running mate. That would still be BEST.
Last Monday on the sidelines during the hearing of his plunder case, Sen. Estrada was asked if he would be open to run as vice president to Binay. His answer, “Why not?”
There’s Binay’s BEST.
