Ranking officials of the Liberal Party continue to keep their faith in Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II even though he continues to lag behind in voter preference surveys.
House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, LP’s vice chairman, said Roxas’ surge in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey can only bode well for his presidential bid in 2016.
“I think he will prevail once the public realizes the gravity of the issues,” he said in a text message Wednesday.
The SWS survey, conducted from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, placed Roxas among the top three contenders respondents most favored to succeed President Benigno Aquino III.
Binay remained the frontrunner in the SWS poll, with 37 percent of the respondents naming him as the best leader to succeed Aquino. Sen. Grace Poe placed second with 21 percent while Roxas was in third place with 19 percent.
LP Secretary General Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento also expressed optimism Roxas’ numbers will climb further if he decides to formally throw his hat into the presidential race.
“Mar has the track record and integrity to ensure continuity of what PNoy has started. The truth about his person will contribute to this (ratings climb) because people will eventually see his sincerity, dedication and passion to serve the Filipino people,” he told GMA News Online in a separate text message.
Consensus among LP members
Roxas has yet to formally announce his political plans for 2016 although he has long been perceived as LP’s standard bearer.
Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, LP’s chair for political affairs, said that while the party has yet to formally start its selection process for its standard bearer, “there is consensus, especially [among] long-time LP members that Sec. Mar is what our country needs to pursue the gains of Pres. Aquino.”
Asked what Roxas should do to shore up his ratings, Erice said he should just do his job well as Interior Secretary “and campaign around the country to deliver the message of continuity, but after PNoy and LP officially declare him the standard bearer in the 2nd or 3rd quarter of the year.”
For his part, LP Visayas whip Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas said although the SWS survey showed Roxas has yet to displace Binay as the strongest presidential contender, it also indicates “there is no place to go for him but up.”
“Secretary Mar Roxas has not even begun the actual campaign work unlike some of the other presidentiables. But with the unquestionable success of the Aquino administration in running the country, there’s no doubt in mind that people are now beginning to acknowledge his hard work and his crucial role as President Aquino’s all-around troubleshooter,” he said in a statement.
Treñas believes Roxas also has an advantage of not being embroiled in corruption controversies, unlike some politicians— whom he did not name— who are saddled with corruption charges.
“Secretary Mar has been called with so many names but unlike his perceived rivals, no one can question his integrity, track record and his moral aptitude. Not once has he been involved in alleged corruption and other conduct unbecoming of a public servant,” he said.
Just misunderstood
Binay has been at the center of corruption controversies in recent months owing to revelations by his former allies that he was involved in the alleged overpricing of government projects when he was mayor of Makati City, and his purported ownership of several properties that were registered using dummies.
The Vice President has denied the allegations, saying they only surfaced as part of a plan to derail his presidential bid in 2016.
Treñas quipped that Roxas might just be misunderstood by the public even though he is trying his best to do his job in the government.
“Secretary Mar Roxas has a 100 percent awareness rating but he is misunderstood by many people because of this relentless smear campaign against him,” he said.
And contrary to some people’s perception, Roxas is far from being elitist, Sarmiento said, citing how the the Interior Secretary was instrumental in legislating pro-poor laws such as the Cheaper Medicine Act, and the Fair and Equitable Access to Education law during his stint in the Senate.
“Yes, he belongs to a rich family, but [Sec. Roxas’] heart has always been for the Filipino, especially for the poor,” Sarmiento said. —NB, GMA News
