Roxas welcomes UP mock polls results

MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II yesterday welcomed the results of the recent University of the Philippines mock poll where he emerged as the most preferred presidential candidate among the students.

“In all mock elections and surveys, my response has been the same. I am thankful to those who support us and for acknowledging what the straight path has brought to our country and our people,” Roxas told reporters at the LP’s Balay headquarters in Quezon City.

“For those who are not yet supporting us, we are asking them for an opportunity to present our platform and our track record. These are not ‘I hope’ or ‘I wish.’ These are concrete proof that we have achieved something,” he added.

A total of 2,588 students joined the mock elections organized by the UP Alpha Sigma fraternity. The mock polls were held from Sept. 7 to 30 and focused on first time voters.

Roxas topped the polls with 598 votes, followed by Sen. Grace Poe with 572 and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago with 512.

Behind them were Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with 491 votes, Sens. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Francis Escudero with 68 each, Vice President Jejomar Binay with 52, former senator Panfilo Lacson with 40, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano with 36, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo with eight votes and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV with six.

Marcos, Escudero, Cayetano, Trillanes and Robredo have declared their intention to run for vice president. As of yesterday, it remains unsure if Duterte will seek higher office next year.

Santiago got the highest vote in the mock vice presidential race with 428 votes, followed by Escudero with 405 and Poe with 377.

Santiago previously said she is open to running for president but has yet to make a formal announcement.

Outgoing Justice Secretary Leila de Lima formally joined the LP yesterday and is expected to be included in the senatorial slate of the administration coalition.

De Lima, who announced her plan to run for senator last month, took her oath as LP member before Senate President Franklin Drilon at the party’s main headquarters in Quezon City.

LP presidential bet Roxas and vice presidential candidate Robredo witnessed the oath taking.

“I am fully determined to face this new challenge of my life. I won’t join any party but the LP,” De Lima said.

Roxas said De Lima has contributed a lot to the justice department.

“She stood firm for the principles of the straight path by filing cases against the corrupt and by performing her functions as secretary of justice,” he said.

Roxas said De Lima’s actions as justice chief cannot be labeled as partisan because she just joined the LP.

The opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) has accused De Lima of “double standard brand of justice” for not prioritizing the filing of cases against administration allies tagged in the pork barrel scam and the Malampaya Fund anomaly.

Aside from De Lima, 76 other politicians took oath as new members of the LP, a development that party stalwarts said would strengthen the party’s influence.

The new LP members hail from Bulacan, La Union, Bataan, Negros Occidental, Siquijor, Zamboanga del Norte and North Cotabato and were formerly aligned with Lakas, National Unity Party and Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista has declined the LP’s offer for him to be included in its senatorial ticket and will seek re-election instead.

Bautista said he wants to continue the programs he started as mayor.

“My family and I agreed that I still have much to do in Quezon City. Several projects are still pending, like the waste-to-energy project, the Philippine Diamond Tower and the Quezon City socialized housing project,” Bautista told ABS-CBN News Channel in an interview.

The LP postponed the announcement of its senatorial ticket for Monday to give Bautista more time to decide.

Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar, an ally of the administration, also announced that he is not running for Senate, saying it is not yet the right time. He is also seeking re-election.

Pacquiao to join LP slate?

While it is certain that Bautista and Villar are not part of the administration slate, it may be a different story for boxer Manny Pacquiao, who announced plans to run for the Senate early this week.

“It is possible,” Roxas said when asked if Pacquiao may be included in the administration’s senatorial ticket.

Roxas said he spoke with Pacquiao two nights ago but did not elaborate.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is running for president under UNA, had earlier claimed that Pacquiao has given assurance that he would not abandon the opposition party.

Roxas did not have much to say about UNA’s efforts to make its presence felt in the Visayas during the party’s launching in Cebu City yesterday.

When asked if he is concerned about the reported recruitment of local officials by UNA, Roxas said: “I think it’s not for me to say.”

“You (media) are the objective third party and you can tell what it means. It’s not for me to say. All of these form part of the campaign,” he added.

Meanwhile, members of the Nacionalista Party (NP) in Laguna expressed support for the candidacy of Roxas.

Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez announced the party’s support for Roxas during the oath taking of new NP members in Calamba on Thursday.

The party, however, will not back Roxas’ running mate Robredo because they will support any of the three NP members seeking the vice presidency: Cayetano, Marcos and Antonio Trillanes IV.