President Aquino’s ruling Liberal Party (LP) confirmed yesterday the planned resignation of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas in June to prepare for his presidential bid.
Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, stalwart of LP, said the party intends to officially declare Roxas as its standard bearer in June when he relinquishes his post as DILG chief.
“In our last caucus, all those who spoke said that Mar should declare already his presidential bid because he is the most capable of pursuing the reform agenda of PNoy because he is not tainted with corruption. But he said if he declares, he will resign the following day because he is different from other declared candidate who is using his office to promote his candidacy,” he said in a text message.
“He said out of delicadeza, he will not use government resources for his candidacy. Hindi ako katulad ng iba, sabi nya,” he added, apparently alluding to Vice President Jejomar Binay, who had announced his presidential bid as early as 2013.
Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. expressed his all-out support for the presidential bid of Secretary Roxas. Roxas’ untainted integrity “could be his saving grace” and will boost his presidential bid in the 2016 polls, he said.
Despite the confirmation of LP, Roxas, in a text message to Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, said that at the moment he has no plans of resigning from the Cabinet. Roxas said he intends to continue working with the President and serve the public under the administration’s path of good governance.
“As of now, he’s the man. It is true that his untainted integrity – no issue of graft and corruption – could be his saving grace,” Belmonte said in an interview. “He’s undoubtedly the most qualified.”
He urged Roxas to woo the support of other parties allied with LP, including the National Unity Party (NUP), the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and the Nacionalista Party (NP).
Manila Bulletin
