Liberal Party (LP) chairman President Benigno S. Aquino III raises the hands of the administration senate slate for the 2016 national elections during the Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid: Ang Pagpapakilala at the Balay Expo Centro Building in EDSA corner McArthur Avenue, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City on Monday (October 12). The 12 senatorial bets includes COOP NATCCO party-list Representative Cresente Paez; Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) director and former Akbayan party-list Representative Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros-Baraquel; former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Emmanuel “Joel” Villanueva; former Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla; Senator Ralph Recto; Senate President Franklin Drilon; former Senator and former food security czar Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan; former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima; Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary for Muslim Affairs and Special Concerns Nariman Ambolodto; Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III; and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) general manger and chief operating officer Mark Lapid. Also in photo are LP Presidential Candidate former DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas II; LP Vice Presidential Candidate Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo; and LP vice chairman and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. (MNS photo)
GUIMARAS (Mabuhay) – The ruling coalition is certain that administration standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II will prevail in the end as it rejected Senator Grace Poe’s camp that the presidential race is down to a two-way fight between her and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
In a statement, Akbayan Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez, the ruling coalition spokesperson, said only a “decent hero” will win the May elections.
“It seems like Senator Poe did not watch FPJ’s movies. Those who watch his movies know that the most powerful punch is always thrown at the end,” Gutierrez said, referring to Poe’s father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr.
“Only villains laugh at the beginning. The decent hero always prevails in the end. FYI,” he added.
Poe’s spokesman Cebu Rep. Ace Durano earlier claimed that the fight for the presidency is down to Poe and Duterte as indicated in pre-election surveys.
Poe and Duterte were statistically tied for first in the latest mobile survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations last March 30. Poe paced the poll at 34 percent, while Duterte was at 31 percent for the poll that had a margin of error of ±4.
Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Roxas were both chosen by 17 percent of those polled, while one percent chose Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
In a chance interview here, Roxas said Durano may have suffered a heat stroke for making such claim.
“Baka na-heat stroke at ‘yan na lang ba ang tingin niya sa mga kababayan natin? Hindi niya nababasa o hindi niya na-analyze ng mabuti yung takbo ng mga surveys, o takbo ng pulitika sa ating bansa,” Roxas said.
Roxas said the presidential race is still a neck-and-neck fight down to May 9, election day.
“Siyempre ang mga kababayan natin pagpasok ng voting booths, pag-iisipan nila kung itataya ko ba ang aking bukas, ilalagay ko ba sa alanganin ang bukas ng ating mga anak?” he said.
“’Yan ang sasandalan natin na sa dulo, hindi ito isang laro, hindi ito basketball game na batuhan lamang ng patutsada, batuhan ng pang-aasar. Ito’y tungkol sa buhay nila,” Roxas added. (MNS)