Poe-Chiz near deal with NPC
Top level talks for the adoption of Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero as the National People’s Coalition (NPC) official candidates for the 2016 national elections have started, rendering virtually hopeless the ruling Liberal Party’s (LP) bid to get Poe as running mate of its standard bearer Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.
Poe and Escudero have reportedly started high level talks with NPC officials, led by party chairman, former Gov. Faustino Dy Jr., and party president Deputy Speaker Giorgidi Aggabao, both of Isabela.
Requesting anonymity, a senior administration congressman disclosed that party founder and former Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco may have also been joining the discussions.
NPC stalwart Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian refused to comment on the adoption of Poe and Escudero as his party’s official candidates but stressed that the NPC will be making a decision soon.
Gatchalian, who is a known supporter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, said the NPC has not closed its doors on the possibility of supporting Binay who has yet to be invited to discuss his program of government with NPC top brass.
Roxas, Poe and Escudero, on separate occasions, have all met with the NPC brass to discuss the respective platforms of government.
Gatchalian, who is being eyed to be a member of the PoeEscudero unity ticket, has also been touted as among those included in the Binay senatorial lineup.
Meanwhile, a senior NPC congressman said that a PoeEscudero tandem, together with a “unity senatorial slate” has started to gain the backing of the country’s cooperative movement.
COOP-National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) Partylist Rep. Cresente Paez said that he would also consider running for a Senate seat under the “unity slate” that Senator Tito Sotto proposed the other day.
Paez will be the third partylist congressman to declare an intention to join the senatorial race.
Earlier, ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Samuel Pagdilao and Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares have admitted they will run for the Senate.
AGAP Partylist Rep. Rico Geron said the House partylist coalition will support “any senatorial candidate from our ranks, one of whom is Rep. Cris Paez.”
Paez said that “the show of support from my colleagues is encouraging because it’s proof that we all believe that more can and should be done to uplift the welfare of various sectors like members of cooperatives, OFWs, farmers, and indigenous peoples.”
The solon explained that COOPNATCCO was already receiving feedback from the sector regarding the 2016 presidential elections and “there is a growing consensus that Sen. Grace and Sen. Chiz are leaders that can be relied on to fight for the interests of our sector.”