Senator Poe now a presidential candidate

 

Senator Grace Poe

But what else is new?

Ever since Poe has been topping either the presidential or vice presidential surveys and the other presidentiables, notably Vice President Jejomar Binay and former DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, have been courting her to be their resspective running mate, there was no denying that her interest to run for the highest position of the land made it all the more inviting and desirable.

It even became more apparent when Poe started grooming fellow Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero to be her running mate and started making speeches, wherever she was invited, that sounded nothing less than being a presidential candidate in the 2016 election.

Why shouldn’t she grab the opportunity, indeed, when, even as a neophyte senator and faulted for being inexperienced, Poe, in no time, dislodged Binay and has kept the lead as the people’s preferred presidential candidate to this day?

Listening to Poe, as she declared her candidacy, and promising that no one will be left behind as the country progresses during her presidency, while still advocating the straight path governance of the present administration, she is sure going to give Binay and Roxas a stiff competition.

I would like to think that as the 2016 election nears, people will realize that the country will be better off if we have either Roxas or Poe as president and will come to terms earlier on that electing Binay to be the country’s leader is detrimental to our future as nation and people.

Whether or not others will still enter the presidential race or revive their dreams of entering the presidential derby again, Filipinos should be one in their beliefs that having an honest, competent and forward looking president, who could sustain what President Aquino has started, no matter what his faults are, is what we need to propel the country to faster growth and development.

Thus, it is important that in the same manner that we are being choosy about who will succeed President Aquino, it is also for the best of our interest and the future of this country if we look ahead and consider who Roxas and Poe will be having as their vice presidential candidates.

This is looking from a long term perspective already. It is for this reason that many is criticizing Binay for his corrupt practices and, therefore, should not be made to succeed Aquino, and the reason why, also, many wanted Poe to be Roxas’ running mate.

But, as the saying goes, ‘man proposes, God disposes’, as the clamor for Roxas-Poe tandem will not happen.

That said, it is now for us to make a proper discernment if, indeed, Escudero is the right person to lead us after Poe. I have my own reservation about Escudero. I find his hubris repugnant and unfit for the presidency.

We will just have to see who Roxas chooses to be his running mate. He should be better than Escudero, or our cheerful and hopeful days will only last up to the presidency of either Roxas or Poe, and we will be back in the hole covered with muck trying to extricate ourselves, as we are used to doing.