Poe: Lean resume means less political baggage

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Grace Poe said that her “lean resume” could be her best credential as she runs for president next year because it means she has less political baggage compared with other presidential candidates.

 “We need you and you need the government to be an enabler and I think that even if they say that my resume is quite lean compared to the others in terms of my length of service in the public sector,” Poe said at a forum of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Marriott Hotel in Pasay City yesterday.

 “My resume is lean enough that I don’t have the added baggage that is not necessary to be able to be successful in government,” she added.

Poe made the statement in reaction to attacks from supporters of the administration-backed Liberal Party (LP).

Poe also vowed that she would do away with partisan politics and prevent a divisive kind of leadership. She did not particularly hit the way President Aquino managed his administration, which others perceived as marked by vindictiveness.

 “I don’t care if you didn’t vote for me, for as long as you can do the job, you’ll be in. If you are from the private sector, perhaps, I can convince you to take a six-year sabbatical of poverty, knowing how much less you are going to be paid in the public sector,” she said.

Poe reached out to the businessmen during the 41st Philippine Business Conference and Expo. She initially intended not to attend the forum, but she arrived after presidential contenders Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Vice President Jejomar Binay and LP standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II took the podium and presented themselves to the business leaders. – With Celso Amo