In tight race, LP likes chances of Mar, Leni

THE “DAANG Matuwid” (straight path) coalition fancies its chances in the 2016 elections, with surveys showing a close and crowded race for President and Vice President.

Liberal Party (LP) officials believe that sheer popularity would not be enough for next year’s candidates even as they expect that President Aquino’s endorsement, the ruling party’s political machinery and millions of beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilya program would tip the scales in favor of administration bets Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo.

LP political affairs chief and Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said Roxas and Robredo would break away from the pack once President Aquino joins them in their sorties at the start of the official campaign period in February.

Erice also said “millions of Filipino families who benefited from the pro-poor programs of the Aquino administration” would ensure an “easy win” for Roxas and Robredo.

Coalition spokesperson and Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo said that strength of machinery would trump popularity in next year’s election.

“The solid machinery of the LP, most of whom are running unopposed, will get into full gear come January. Sheer popularity will not make the cut unlike P-Noy’s 2010 election,” said Quimbo, noting that half of provincial governors, mostly LP allies, are running unopposed in 2016.

Quimbo said Roxas’ numbers remain firm and steady based on surveys compared to the numbers of Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe and Davao City Rodrigo Duterte, which have been erratic.

“The support of the President becomes the most crucial in a tight race like this. It becomes even more significant when the outgoing President is a popular one, not a lame duck. P-Noy has the highest performance rating for an outgoing President in our history,” said Quimbo.

Robredo agreed that the President’s backing would be a factor in the elections.

“President Aquino’s endorsement is a big help to me. Aside from this, the administration’s accomplishments in the last five years for our countrymen is more worthwhile and further underscores the need to contin- ue and expand it for the benefit of more Filipinos,” said Robredo who has shot up in the surveys despite declaring her bid for Vice President only two months ago.

Robredo said she has always believed that the “daang matuwid” message would carry over well in her sorties to areas outside her turf in Naga City. She said she has always believed in having a chance of winning despite running against “big names and veteran politicians.”

Robredo said she was told she has a “high conversion rate,” which meant that the more people become aware of how she served the public under the shadow of her late husband, former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, the more votes she would get. (In contrast, some candidates have very high awareness rating but are poor on converting their popularity into votes.)

Sen. Bam Aquino, campaign manager of Robredo, said: “Our people will have to make a choice: Start from zero or continue what P-Noy and his administration have built so far. So yes, definitely, his endorsement matters in next year’s elections.”