MANILA, Phlippines – “Mind your own party.”

This was Malacañang’s response to the latest tirade of the Vice President Jejomar Binay against the ruling Liberal Party, which he described as “disorganized” as President Benigno Aquino III has been meeting with potential standard-bearers Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II and Senator Grace Poe.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in an interview on state-run dzRB on Saturday, July 25, that the President has repeatedly stated that the ongoing consultations are “part of the process to arrive at the possible standard bearer for 2016.”

“So siguro huwag na po nating pakialaman ‘yung ginagawa ‘nung ibang partido. ‘Yung sa kanila na lang po, ano po ba ang gusto nilang gawin? Saan po ba nila gustong dalhin ‘yung bansa natin…kaya sila tumatakbo sa 2016? ‘Yon na lang po ‘yung pag-usapan natin. Huwag na po natin punahin pa ‘yung ginagawa ‘nung kabila,” Valte said.

(So maybe they shouldn’t mind what the other party is doing. Just mind their own. What do they want to do? Where do they want to bring our country when they run in 2016? We should just talk about that. Let’s not mind what the other party is doing.)

Aquino III had said that while Roxas is still “top of the list” as LP’s standard-bearer, the party is still conducting consultations with its allies. On July 20, he met with Poe but failed to reach an agreement.

The President is expected to  announce his choice after his State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27. 

During the radio interview, Valte declined to comment on the possibility of tapping Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano as the administration’s vice presidential candidate. – Rappler.com