Noy to endorse Mar tomorrow?

The ruling Liberal Party ( LP) will have a big meeting tomorrow at the historic Club Filipino, where President Aquino may anoint Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II as his preferred successor.

Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, a member of the administration party, confirmed the meeting yesterday in an interview over radio station dzBB.

Asked whether Aquino would proclaim Roxas as the LP presidential candidate during the meeting, Quimbo

said, “That should not come from me, I cannot preempt the party.”

Quimbo refused to reveal other details about the meeting. The STAR tried but failed to reach other LP leaders and members.

The President has promised to announce his anointed successor after his sixth and last State of the Nation Address today.

He has repeatedly declared that he would choose the one who would pursue the reforms he has started and his daang

matuwid or straight path core advocacy. Aquino said Roxas is No. 1 on his list. The President has held at least two meetings with Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero with Roxas in attendance. Last week, Aquino had a one-onone with Poe.

Aquino is believed to be trying to convince Poe to be the running mate of Roxas.

However, political observers, including Poe’s Senate colleague Sen. Serge Osmeña, one of her advisers when she ran for senator in 2013, believe that she is bent on seeking the presidency in 2016 with Escudero as her vice presidential candidate.

Osmeña said Poe would run for president with or without Aquino’s support.

Poe won as senator as part of the administration ticket. She has acknowledged that in her meetings with Aquino, the President stressed the need for the administration coalition to remain intact so it would prevail in next year’s elections and for his successor to pursue his reforms and advocacies.

She said Aquino did not indicate if he wanted her to run for president or vice president.

Other LP leaders, including Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., have described Roxas as the “most qualified” among presidential aspirants.