THE Nationalist People’s Coalition, the country’s second largest political party, has yet to make up its mind on which presidential candidate to support in this year’s elections but on Tuesday hinted that Senator Grace Poe remained the best choice for the position.
Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, the party’s spokesman, made the statement a day after the NPC met with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte Monday night.
“So far, the top choice is Senator Grace Poe,” Enverga told reporters, adding the NPC would announce its final choice on Feb. 8—a day before the start of the election campaign period.
Enverga said the NPC was confident Poe would be able to run for president amid the questions on her citizenship.
“We believe that she is qualified to run,” Enverga said.
“The TRO [temporary restraining order] given by the Supreme Court in some ways validates there was grave abuse of authority by the Commission on Elections [when it canceled Poe’s Certificate of Candidacy].”
After meeting with Duterte, Enverga said, the party would be able to decide to whom to support for president as it had also met with Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Poe.
He said the party members’ general sentiment on Duterte during the meeting was “difficult.”
“[Right now], it’s very much difficult to get a sense of the impression of our members as far as Mayor Duterte is concerned,” Enverga said.
“Probably in the coming days, that will be the only time for us to get a true feel from our members on what they think of Duterte.”
Earlier, Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, one of Duterte’s staunchest supporters in the House of Representatives, said Duterte repeated his vow to fight crime and corruption during his meeting with NPC members.
“Mayor Rody [Duterte] clearly spelled out his plans to eradicate the drug problem and crush crime within three to six months upon assumption of the Office of the President,” Nograles said.
He said Duterte also reiterated his plan to push for federalism in case he was elected president.
