Vice President Jejomar Binay and Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla raise their hands during the covenant signing between United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and Partido Magdalo at Kawit Cavite on Thursday. Remulla expressed support for Binay’s candidacy for president in the 2016 elections. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is among six individuals being considered as Vice President Jejomar Binay’s running mate in the 2016 presidential elections, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) confirmed Saturday.
“I will have to admit, kasi lumabas na yan, na kasama siya,” UNA interim president and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said.
Tiangco said the search committee is looking at six names as possible running mate of Binay when he seeks the presidency in 2016.
Tiangco, however, refused to name names, saying: “Kasi ang nangyayari pag sinasabi namin yung pangalan, first of all, it’s unfair to the others na hindi napangalanan. Number 2, pag nagbigay kasi kami ng pangalan… ang lumalabas minsan yun ang gusto namin. Di ba iba naman yung ‘kino-konsidera?’”
He said UNA has a self-imposed deadline of September 30 for Binay’s vice presidential candidate and the party’s senatorial slate.
Meanwhile, Tiangco reiterated that they are not threatened by the candidacy of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, saying they are confident that the Filipino people will continue to support Binay, given his track record in government.
The UNA official, however, admitted that President Benigno Aquino III’s endorsement of Roxas can boost the interior secretary’s presidential bid.
More than that, he said, is that Roxas, being the administration candidate, has the machinery of the government.
“This year is the election budget year. Yan ang tatalakayin pagbalik namin sa Congress. Siyempre may persuasive effect naman yung administrasyon kung saan nila dadalhin yung mga pondo. So yan, napakalaking bagay niyan,” he said. (MNS)