MANILA, Philippines – After news came out that President Benigno Aquino III’s sisters support opposition candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay for the 2016 presidential race, the Chief Executive clarified that is not entirely accurate.

In an interview with News5, Aquino said he called up his sisters after he saw the media reports. According to Aquino, his sisters said they were forced by media to say something.

“The gist of what they said was ‘If he [Binay] will continue what our brother is doing then okay, that’s good,” he said. “Which is not exactly the same as saying he will be the one to continue it.”

The statement comes after Binay cited raw information that party mates of Aquino in the ruling Liberal Party (LP) are supposedly talking about adopting him as the administration’s standard bearer – a report denied by LP stalwarts.

Actress and presidential sister Kris Aquino then fueled the talk on her TV show Aquino & Abunda Tonight by saying that she and her sisters are open to the idea.

Binay even issued a statement of gratitude to the sisters for their trust and support.

President Aquino and the LP are grooming Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas to be the party standard-bearer in 2016. – Rappler.com