AS the election season in the Philippines heats up, we see possible tandems forming among those seeking the highest posts of government. Anticipation and excitement are growing, and Fil-Ams are very much in the loop about the political developments in the Motherland.
As of press time, Sec. Mar Roxas still awaits Cong. Leni Robredo to be on board as his vice president, but she asked for more time to discern whether this is her true calling, because her daughters with the late DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo’s daughters wish that she would not run for the second-highest post.
Only Sen. Grace Poe has a solid tandem with Sen. Chiz Escudero, who is definitely running as her vice president.
VP Jejomar Binay has not yet announced who his pick is for VP, although rumors are circulating that it would probably be Sen. Bongbong Marcos, a solid anti-administration figure whose political interests match those of Binay at this time.
But even Marcos is not sure whether to run with Binay as other rumors say he could be picked by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte has yet to formally announce his intent to run, but the latest survey shows a strong following, placing fourth after Poe, Roxas and Binay.
Pictures of Duterte and Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano have been circulating in the news after Cayetano formally announced that he is indeed running for VP. Could this scenario push Robredo to run with Roxas?
On September 16, after Poe announced her candidacy, The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast Balitang America asked its viewers: If the Philippine Presidential Elections were held today, who would you vote for to be the next President of the Philippines?
The results:
Mar Roxas – 56 percent
Grace Poe – 29 percent
None of the above – 15 percent
Jejomar Binay – 0 percent
It looks like Binay has a lot of work to do among Filipinos in America. meanwhile, will Duterte shake the dynamics if and when he decides to run for President? Will Grace Poe be able to keep her lead? Will Mar’s upward momentum catapult him to be the next President?
ABANGAN ANG SUSUNOD NA KABANATA!
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
