An appeal to Grace Poe: Don’t do a P-Noy

President Aquino has finally endorsed Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II as the standard-bearer of the Liberal Party in the 2016 elections. Earlier, there were doubts about his being the President’s choice because the latter had met with Sen. Grace Poe several times, and the public could only guess whether they were talking about her possible running for president or vice president.

Poe topped the senatorial elections in 2013 as guest candidate of the ruling alliance of the Liberal Party, the Nacionalista Party and the Nationalist People’s Coalition. In the same election, Vice President Jejomar Binay showed his strength with the election of Nancy Binay, his daughter, into the Senate.

After topping the senatorial race in the 2013 elections, Poe’s demeanor in the Senate caught the admiration of the public. Her language has been proper but firm, leaving no doubt as to her understanding of the issues that were deliberated on the Senate floor. As chair of the committee on public order, she conducted the hearing on the Mamasapano incident with equanimity and firmness, finding President Aquino, former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, former Special Action Force director Getulio Napeñas, and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters responsible for the debacle. The Senate is due to discuss the committee findings in a plenary session.

There has been a groundswell of support for the candidacy of Poe as president in the coming 2016 elections—an offshoot of her topping the 2013 midterm election for senators, her performance in the Senate, and the series of consultations between her and President Aquino. If she finally decides to run for president in 2016, it will be at the expense of Liberal Party candidate Roxas. Between Roxas and Poe, the votes intended against Vice President Binay will be split. And the latter has a firm base that has not been affected by the charges of graft and corruption leveled against him.

This is an appeal to Poe: Forego your plan to vie for the presidency in the 2016 elections! You still have more than three years to serve as a senator. The next presidential election is scheduled in 2022 or seven years from today. This will allow you to learn more about the good and the bad in our government and politics, to identify the people who can help you in government if you run for and win the presidency in 2022.

Poe should not repeat the mistake of President Aquino, who did not know enough about our government and politics and about the people who could help him run the government. Good intentions and personal honesty are not enough to be a good president!

—APOLONIO G. RAMOS, 42 Mindanao St., Marikina City