Calamba, Laguna (CNN Philippines) — Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II confirmed Monday (August 17) that he finally met with Sen. Grace Poe and asked her in person to be his running mate for next year’s presidential race.
The meeting happened Sunday night at the Poe residence.
This was their first meeting since President Benigno Aquino III endorsed Roxas as Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer and also their first meeting since he announced to the media that he would want Poe to be his vice presidential running mate.
Roxas said the meeting lasted for a few hours, during which they were joined by Poe’s husband, Neil Llamanzares.
Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, reported to be Poe’s vice presidential running mate, was not in the meeting.
Roxas was tight lipped on details, but he did say that he was happy with the turnout of the meeting. The LP standard bearer also claimed that there would be another meeting.
Asked when, if ever, a Roxas-Poe tandem could be announced, he said there would a right time to make such an announcement.
LP stalwarts still prefer Roxas-Poe tandem
Roxas was at Camp Vicente Lim in Laguna early Monday to lead the turnover of 204 light patrol jeeps to municipalities in eight provinces.
Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali Jr., a Liberal Party stalwart who was also at the turnover, said he saw a good chance of Roxas and Poe running together.
Umali admitted that many of his colleagues in LP were pushing for Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo to be Roxas’s running mate. But he said most of them would still prefer a Roxas-Poe tandem.
According to Umali, one of their concerns was that having Roxas and Poe run separately might just split the votes for the administration. This, he said, might effectively benefit Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Roxas is also scheduled to meet local officials at the Leaders’ Congress of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), where he is expected to make a pitch again for the continuation of the Daang Matuwid campaign.
Related: President Aquino is still hoping for Roxas-Poe tandem
Also read: LP has other options for vice presidential candidate
