Supporters hope Roxas to get winning votes in Negros Occ

SUPPORTERS of former Interior and Local Government secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II in Negros Occidental welcome his decision to run for senator in the 2019 elections.

They are also hoping he would still get the winning votes in the province, which was once called “Mar country.”

Negros Occidental is a known bailiwick of Roxas, as his mother, Judy Araneta-roxas, is from Bago City.

In the 2016 presidential

elections, Roxas garnered the highest votes in the province but eventually lost to President Rodrigo Duterte.

Former Negros Occidental governor Rafael Coscolluela, who was chair of Friends of Mar-leni, said Roxas will probably be one of the most qualified candidates for senator because of his experiences in many departments, his education, trainings and exposures will be good for the Senate.

He said he will still support and campaign for Roxas.

“I will still support him and hope that he will win again in Negros. He is not a back slugger type who would always play politics. Certainly, he will be good for the Senate,” he pointed out.

Former Liberal Party provincial chair and former Manapla mayor Manuel Escalante Jr. said he will still campaign for Roxas in the province.

“I hope other mayors will campaign for him. After all, Mar has not done anything wrong for Negros,” Escalante said.

After Duterte won the 2016 elections, the majority of the local officials led by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. joined the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-lakas Ng Bayan (Pdp-laban).

Escalante said he is hoping that Duterte and Roxas would unite for the great advantage of the country.

“They will have a good combination of leaders because while Mar is a technocrat, Duterte is a cowboy,” he said.

The last time that Roxas visited the province was on July 2 this year during his birthday celebration, Escalante said

He said that Roxas has even stayed overnight in his rest house at Salvador Benedicto.

For his part, Third District Representative Alfredo Benitez said he will support Roxas if he runs under the ruling Pdp-laban.

Benitez was Liberal Party provincial chair but resigned at the height of the 2016 election campaign after he was unceremoniously stripped of his functions.

Meanwhile, Roxas announced his senatorial bid on his Facebook account Monday in a four-minute video.

“Apart from pride, may dahilan ba na hindi ako mag-extend ng helping hand? Wala. And so here we are. I don’t have any quit in me and I won’t quit on our country,” he said.

He added: “Kung sa tingin ‘nyo makakatulong pa ako, handa ako. Ino-offer ko muli ang sarili ko sa inyo, at hinihingi ko rin ang tulong ‘nyo dahil ‘di ko kaya ito nang nag-iisa.”*