Countdown: Aquino meets with Mar Roxas about 2016

MANILA, Philippines – A day after meeting with Senator Grace Poe, President Benigno Aquino III met with party mates Interior and Local Government Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad about the 2016 presidential elections.

Roxas, who is being groomed as standard-bearer of the ruling Liberal Party (LP), confirmed the lunch meeting among the 3 LP stalwarts on Friday, July 10.

But he declined to give details of what they talked about except to say that it was about the presidential elections.

“As a member of his official family, I consider my conversation with the President privileged. With due respect and deference to the President who has yet to speak on the matter, I will not discuss the details of my meeting with the President and Sec. Butch Abad this lunchtime,” Roxas said in a statement.

“However, I am confident that what we have been working on for the past 5 years and the continuity of the reforms that have brought unprecedented benefits to our people remain paramount in the President’s mind. This consideration will define his choice in 2016.”

LP and Roxas are expecting the President to endorse him after Aquino’s last State of the Nation Address on July 27.

But the camp of Poe said the President is having a “hard time” making his choice. (READ: Chiz: Aquino having ‘hard time’ choosing anointed one)

On Thursday, July 9, the President met with Poe and her close adviser, Senator Chiz Escudero, about the same topic. Poe is the survey frontrunner for the 2016 presidential race, and is being pushed by various sectors to run for president.

Escudero said it was clear to them that the President remained undecided on his choice. (READ: The Scrum: When a president betrays a friend)

“Maliwanag na wala pang pasya kung sino ang kanyang ie-endorso kung meron man, dahil nagkokonsulta at kumakausap pa nga siya. Maliwanag na nahihirapan siya sa desisyon na inaatas sa kanya kaugnay ng pagpili,” Escudero said in an interview with reporters. (It is clear there is still no decision on the endorsements because the [President] is still consulting people. It is clear he is having a difficult time to decide.)

The meeting meant the President was expanding his list of choices, Escudero said.

It’s not clear if Aquino’s meeting with Roxas and Abad on Friday was an offshoot of his meeting with Poe.

President Aquino will set a single appointment with Roxas, Poe, and Escudero before his last SONA. – Rappler.com