Grace Poe on 2013: I’m waiting for PNoy

MANILA, Philippines – She is sought after by both senatorial tickets but Grace Poe-Llamanzares has yet to finalize her plans for the 2013 elections.

In an interview on Tuesday, September 25, the chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) said she is still waiting for a formal announcement from President Benigno Aquino III about her inclusion in the administration slate.

“Hanggang hindi ko siyempre naririnig iyan, hindi ko naman masasabi nang may katapusan na siguradong makakasali ako,” Llamanzares told reporters. (Until I hear that, I cannot say with finality that I am sure of joining the slate.)

Llamanzares made the statement even if Aquino already announced during a trip to Russia earlier this month that she is included in the administration lineup.

The MTRCB head said she prefers to wait for now.

“Hintayin na lang natin ang pormal na anunsyo. Sa ngayon, ako’y nagtatrabaho sa MTRCB so dapat maging responsible sa pagbibigay ng statement. Hihintayin ko pa rin ang boss ko, ang ating Pangulo, kung ano ang pinal na desisyon.” (Let us just wait for the formal announcement. For now, I am working in the MTRCB so I have to be responsible about giving statements. I will still wait for my boss, the President, about what the final decision is.)

Llamanzares, however, said it will be an honor for her to join the slates of Aquino’s Liberal Party (LP) and Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

UNA has decided to accept Llamanzares as a guest candidate because of her ties to UNA chairman former President Joseph Estrada. Estrada is the best friend of Llamazares’ late father, Fernando Poe Jr, whose 2004 presidential candidacy was supported by leaders of UNA.

Because of Llamanzares’ reported decision to run under the LP, UNA decided to waive its rule requiring candidates to exclusively campaign with the alliance.

Llamanzares ranked 17-23 in the September Pulse Asia survey of potential senatorial candidates.

Chiz not choosing 

Another senatorial candidate who is likely to be shared by both slates is Sen Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

Escudero reiterated on Tuesday that it is not for him but for the two coalitions to announce if they are including him in their slates. The senator is a survey frontrunner, placing second in the September Pulse Asia survey next to Senator Loren Legarda. 

Like Llamanzares, Escudero has ties to the two groups, being an ally of Aquino and Binay. The senator endorsed the two in the 2010 elections. He does not belong to any party after he left the Nationalist People’s Coalition in 2009. 

“It’s not for me to decide about that. That is the decision of the coalitions,” Escudero said in Filipino.

Escudero said he is open to joining both tickets.

“Sino ba naman ako para sabihing, ‘Ayaw ko at hindi?’ Siyempre ang sagot ng sinumang tumatakbo, ‘Oo at salamat,’ Escudero said. (Who am I to say I don’t want to and no? Of course, the answer of whoever is running is ‘Yes and thank you.’)

On Monday, Binay said he still has to clarify if Escudero will indeed agree to run under his coalition.

“Yun na nga ang pag-uusapan namin kasi ‘di namin malaman kung ano ba siya sa Liberal. Definitely, magiging kandidatong senador iyan. Siguro, pagkatapos nito, magkausap kami ni Senator Escudero,” said Binay. (That’s what we will discuss because we can’t determine his status in the Liberal Party. Definitely, he will be a senatorial candidate. Maybe after this presscon, Senator Escudero and I will talk.) – Rappler.com

More from Rappler’s 2013 Philippine elections coverage: