| The Palace on Thursday reiterated that it remains focused on carrying out the administration’s programs in the remaining days of President Benigno S. Aquino III’s term, even as the country gears up for next year’s presidential election.Reacting to a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on the “three best leaders to succeed PNoy in 2016”, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the administration’s attention is on the implementation of its programs and not on politics.
“Nanatiling nakatuon ang ating pamahalaan sa pagpapatupad ng mga programa at proyekto para sa pagpapahusay ng ekonomiya at pagpapatatag sa mga repormang nasimulan na at nais makumpleto sa mga nalalabing buwan ng termino ni Pangulong Aquino,” Secretary Coloma said during a press briefing in Malacañang.
The latest survey, he said, could guide the country’s voters in choosing the better candidate.
“Pero ang pokus po namin ngayon ay hindi sa mga kandidato o sa eleksyon, kung hindi sa trabaho ng pamahalaan,” he added.
Coloma said he heard the President tell Agence France-Presse during a recent interview that he will announce the administration’s presidential bet in June.
“Narinig ko ‘yon dahil saksi ako doon sa interview… Ang sinabi na lang niya (President Aquino) ay, ‘Mainam na maghintay na lamang sa aking ilalahad,’” he added.
Asked if the President would anoint Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas as the administration’s bet, Coloma noted that President Aquino often emphasizes that his successor must be someone who would continue the reforms that he has initiated.
“Ang suhestiyon niya o ang payo niya ay tingnan kung sino ba talaga ang makapagpapatuloy at makapagtitiyak na ang mga reporma at transpormasyong nasimulan na ay makukumpleto,” the Palace official said.
“Ang pokus po ng kanyang mensahe sa ating mga mamamayan ay doon sa prinsipyo na sa kanilang pagpapasya, dapat isaalang-alang ang kahalagahan na maipagpatuloy at makumpleto ang transpormasyon at reporma na naisagawa na. ‘Yan po ang kanyang palaging binibigyan ng diin.”
The SWS survey, conducted last March 20 to 23 among 1,200 adults nationwide, showed that Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares remain in the top two positions, with 36 percent and 31 percent, respectively.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has overtaken four other potential candidates and is tied with Secretary Roxas for third position, with 15 percent each.
Roxas’ rating dropped to 15 percent from 19 percent in a similar poll conducted on November 27 to December 1 last year. PND (as) |
