NPC to announce presidential bet on February 8

MANILA, Philippines — The Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) is set to announce its support to a presidential candidate on the eve of the start of the campaign period on  February 8.

Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, spokesperson of the NPC, said Tuesday that the party, the second largest in the country, has not yet chosen the official candidate it will support.

"There is no truth that we have chosen Senator Poe or anyone. We will make the announcement on or before the start of the official campaign," Enverga said.

Enverga, however, said the NPC already heard four of the six presidential bets' platforms and priorities should they win in the May polls.

"Last night (Monday), we had a chance to hear Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who was grilled by [a] 15-man... executive committee," Enverga said at weekly news forum Ugnayan sa Batasan.

READ: Duterte bares platform to NPC leaders

Aside from Duterte, Enverga said party officials also interviewed Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel "Mar" Roxas II, Partido Galing at Puso's Sen. Grace Poe and United Nationalist Alliance's standard-bearer Vice President Jejomar "Jojo" Binay.

Enverga said the NPC recently asked the remaining presidential candidates, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago and Overseas Filipino Worker Family Rep. Roy Señeres, to submit their platforms and priorities to the executive committee in charge of deciding the candidate they will support.

"Senator Santiago begged not to show up because of her present health problem but she managed to submit her platforms and priorities to the NPC execom. For Congressman Seneres, we advise him to do the same," Enverga explained.

The NPC spokesman said the executive committee is led Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuanco and Isabela Rep. Georgidi Aggabao.

"The 15-man panel is also composed of incumbent and former lawmakers and local officials who are old timers in the party," Enverga added.