PAMPANGA, Philippines – Even as politicians, his allies in the Liberal Party (LP) included, have begun speculating and discussing plans for the 2016 elections, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II remains coy about his own plans. 

“Darating at darating rin tayo diyan (We’ll come to that eventually),” Roxas, also LP’s president-on-leave, told reporters on the sidelines of the turnover of new police patrol cars in Camp Olivas, Pampanga, on Wednesday, May 20. 

Roxas was asked by media when he would be announcing his plans for 2016 and if he would, in fact, be the ruling party’s standard-bearer. 

“Natutuwa rin nga ako na nakaparami ang interesado sa kung ano ang ikikilos ni Mar Roxas. Siguro ibig sabihin ako talaga ang pinakamatibay na kandidato dahil lahat na lang sila ay may komentaryo tungkol sa akin, or tungkol sa gawain ko,” he said.

(I am pleased that a lot of people are interested in my plans. Maybe that means I’m the strongest candidate for 2016 because everyone has something to say about me or about what I’m doing.) 

Early presidential surveys have so far not been promising for Roxas. Leading the pack is Vice President Jejomar Binay, who defeated Roxas in 2010. 

Another LP stalwart, Senate President Franklin Drilon, earlier this week said that if it were up to him, it was about time that Roxas declared his plans to run for president, “if he is indeed [running].” 

In the chance interview in Pampanga, Roxas tried repeatedly to steer the conversation back to the turnover of police patrol cars, which he said was proof that his work in government was not merely “plans, words, or for photo ops.” 

“Tunay at totoo ang ating pagtaguyod at pagsulong sa BPO (business process outsourcing) noong ako ay DTI (Department of Trade and Industry secretary). Tulad ng ating pagtaguyod at pagsulong dito sa Oplan Listo, na kung saan ay naipababa natin ang bilang ng mga biktima kung merong kalamidad. Lahat naman ito ay kabahagi ng ating programa, ating ambag sa magandang bunga ng Daang Matuwid,” he added, referring to President Benigno Aquino III’s catch phrase for his administation’s programs. 

(Similar to what I did when I pushed for BPOs when I was trade secretary, when I pushed for Oplan Listo, to cut down casualties during disasters, all of this is part of our program, our contribution to the fruits of the Straight Path.)

Roxas-Poe? 

Roxas also opted to remain vague about discussions with Senator Grace Poe, who has ranked second most preferred in presidential surveys. Roxas and Poe have met at least twice recently to talk about the 2016 elections and their plans for the country, with the second meeting was attended by President Benigno Aquino III himself. 

In an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, also an LP stalwart, said that a repeat of 2010 was possible: that Roxas would slide down to vice president, this time in favor of Poe. 

Roxas was supposed to run for president in 2010 elections but gave way to Aquino, whose victory was sparked by the death of his mother and EDSA democracy icon, former President Corazon Aquino. 

The interior secretary made a reference to his 2010 decision in a speech before Pampanga mayors, saying this was an act of sacrifice on his part.  

Asked about his meetings with Poe and the possibility of a tandem with the neophyte senator in 2016, Roxas still chose to remain vague. “Pag-uusapan natin sa tamang panahon (We’ll talk about that when the time is right),” he said.

“Ang issue po sa darating na halalan ay, ipagpapatuloy ba ang Daang Matuwid? Saan ba natin dadalhin ang ating bansa? ‘Yan lang naman ang issue. At lahat kami naniniwala na dapat naman ay dalhin natin sa maayos, matino, hayag, tapat na pamamahala [ang bansa] at kabahagi nga ito ng Daang Matuwid,” added the Interior secretary. 

(The issue in the coming elections is, will we continue on the Straight Path? Where will be bring the country? That’s the only issue. And all of us believe that it’s only right that we bring the Philippines toward good, transparent, honest governance and that’s part of the Straight Path.)

Some members of the Liberal Party are pushing for a Roxas-Poe tandem, while some are pushing for Poe, an independent candidate, to run as president under the banner of the ruling party. 

But Roxas will have to decide soon. The filing of candidacies for the 2016 elections is scheduled in October 2015. – Rappler.com