The man who once stepped aside for his close friend and political ally now gets his own shot at the presidency.
Swearing by the memories of President Benigno Aquino III鈥檚 parents, the late democracy icons Benigno 鈥淣inoy鈥 Aquino and Corazon 鈥淐ory鈥 Aquino, an emotional Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on Friday jumped into the 2016 presidential race, declaring his readiness to take on the call to pursue the 鈥渟traight path,鈥 the Aquino administration鈥檚 reform program.
His voice cracking, Roxas vowed to honor the unsullied legacy of the President鈥檚 parents. He also thanked Mr. Aquino for the trust and support he had given him.
鈥淚, Mar Roxas, accept the challenge of our bosses to continue, expand and fight for the straight path,鈥欌 Roxas said at the end of his 15-minute acceptance speech, drawing thunderous applause from his supporters who filled the historic Kalayaan Hall of Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City.
READ: 鈥業 am Mar Roxas, I accept the challenge of my bosses鈥 / Aquino officially endorses Mar Roxas as LP standard-bearer
It was the same hall where Roxas, then primed to seek the presidency in the 2010 elections under the banner of the Liberal Party (LP), announced that he was giving way to Mr. Aquino, whose popularity suddenly soared after the death of his mother.
This time, it was Mr. Aquino鈥檚 turn to heap praises on his friend and rally the LP鈥檚 鈥測ellow army鈥 behind him.
鈥淐lub Filipino brings back so many memories,鈥 Roxas said. 鈥淭his is where President Cory took her oath in 1986. As mentioned by the President, this is also where he accepted the calls for him to lead and where he said that we can now dream again. This is also where I first said 鈥榗ountry first before self.鈥欌
YOU鈥橰E THE MAN! Amid a rain of colorful confetti, with yellow dominating of course, President Aquino raises the hand of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas whom he endorsed as standard-bearer of the Liberal Party (LP) in next year鈥檚 presidential race, in what is billed 鈥淎 Gathering of Friends鈥 by the LP held on Friday at the historic Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City. RAFFY LERMA
Great privilege
Turning to the President, Roxas said: 鈥淭his is a great privilege and I promise not to besmirch their names. And I will definitely not tarnish your name.鈥
鈥淲ith this endorsement, you are also passing the dreams and strength of the 100 million Filipinos [to me]. To my bosses, I will not betray your trust,鈥 he said, referring to the Filipino people.
Roxas, who lost to Vice President Jejomar Binay in the 2010 elections, had apparently traded his original political color, blue, for the more popular yellow of the LP.
Roxas鈥 mother, the clan matriarch Judy Araneta-Roxas, was observed crying as his son recalled how the death of his brother, the late Capiz Rep. Gerardo 鈥淒inggoy鈥 Roxas Jr., catapulted him from being an investment banker in New York City to a national political figure.
His wife, television reader Korina Sanchez, said the President鈥檚 endorsement was a big boost to her husband鈥檚 candidacy, pointing out that Mr. Aquino was the only President whose popularity rating remained above 50 percent in the last year of his term.
READ: Korina Sanchez: Mar Roxas 鈥榬eady to accept challenge鈥 / Is Korina Sanchez ready to become first lady? / Korina Sanchez tells critics: 鈥楤ring it on鈥
United by aspirations
Amid rumors that the President would endorse Sen. Grace Poe, the new front-runner in the presidential polls, Sanchez said she and her husband did not doubt Mr. Aquino鈥檚 choice of his successor.
In his speech, Roxas said he had no plans of going into politics although he came from a family of politicians. He said his brother, who succumbed to cancer in 1993, was supposed to carry on the tradition started by their grandfather, the late President Manuel Roxas, and their father, the late Sen. Gerry Roxas.
鈥淭his principle is in our blood; you have the obligation to serve. Put the collective first before your self,鈥 he said.
鈥淚 could not turn my back on the memories of my father, Dinggoy and our grandfather. It鈥檚 my duty even though I know that my life would change鈥 I had to do justice to what I had been taught and to what I knew in my heart was right. I accepted the responsibility,鈥 he said.
In all the events he had attended as a government official across the country, Roxas said what struck him most was the fact that all Filipinos were 鈥渦nited by our aspirations.鈥
Filipino dream
鈥淢y dream is no different from the dream of every Filipino. I wish for the Filipino people only what I would wish for myself. After all, who are we if not our dreams?鈥 he said.
鈥淲ho would not want a life with dignity and comfort? That you have something to eat when you鈥檙e hungry and your life will be better if you work hard,鈥 he added.
Under Mr. Aquino鈥檚 leadership, Roxas said the government proved that it could attend to the people鈥檚 needs and fulfill its mandate.
鈥淚t鈥檚 professional, not transactional. No lucky strokes, only systematic fulfillment of our dreams,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a government [that serves only] our bosses who give us the mandate and strength.鈥
He added: 鈥淭his is what we have started on [the straight path. The President] allowed us to imagine again what the Filipino is capable of鈥 We are a serious people who are serious with our dreams, who have just had a taste of what serious, selfless leadership can achieve.鈥
Roxas also lauded Mr. Aquino for the sacrifices he had made for the country, recalling the difficult times he faced in 2009 when various sectors were trying to convince him to run for President in 2010.
In one of their conversations, Roxas said he remembered the President telling him that he could not abandon the calls for him to pursue what his parents had started.
Debt to the people
鈥淚 owe the Filipino [people] as much and I owe as much to you, Mr. President. I have never met a President who sacrificed so much for the country,鈥 he said.
鈥淚 have never met a President who has been able to inspire so much confidence. You showed us how to live by the principles we believed in and show us what we could do with our political will鈥 and by sticking with the truth no matter how strong our enemy is,鈥 he added.
Roxas said the straight path principle was 鈥渘ever about me or the President鈥 and that it was the embodiment of the aspirations of every Filipino.
鈥淎s what the President said, it is worth fighting for. It is worth sacrificing for and dying for if need be. The straight path transcends me and [the President]; it is a Filipino ideal that has been there long before we were born, and will remain long after we are gone,鈥 he said.
Roxas then promised not to abandon the straight path principle, saying: 鈥淚 will give my all. I will not leave anything for myself. I will leave everything on the floor for this fight.鈥
鈥楪ood taste鈥
鈥淭he President has good taste, that I can tell you,鈥 Sanchez told reporters after the event.
鈥淲e never talked about it because every time we looked at each other鈥檚 eyes, we knew that the President would pick the right person. And we knew that Mar deserved [his support],鈥 she said.
Continuity
鈥淭he first six years under the Aquino administration were really to make sure the road was straight. But now we make sure the boat has no holes,鈥 said Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, the LP chair in the Bicol region.
鈥淓veryone in the boat now must push the boat in the right direction. Of course, what Mr. Aquino did was the most difficult part. But now, we need to keep the boat going, and that involves a platform of government focusing on inclusive social policy and infrastructure,鈥 he said.
Definitely, he said, the LP 鈥渨ill bank on the President.鈥
He said the mistake of former US Vice President Al Gore, who lost the presidency to George W. Bush in 2000, was when he tried to distance himself from outgoing President Bill Clinton.
鈥淗e thought that if he distanced himself, the problems [associated with Clinton] will disappear,鈥 Salceda said, adding that Gore should have realized that he could not 鈥渄issociate鈥 himself from the Clinton administration.
鈥淏ut Mar has always been part of the Aquino team. He鈥檚 part of the team,鈥 he said.
Nomination bounce
Salceda predicted a 鈥渘omination bounce鈥 or spike for Roxas鈥 polling numbers now that President Aquino had endorsed him as his chosen successor.
He said an internal poll commissioned by the LP showed that Roxas had a 13-percent share of the hypothetical vote if the elections were held today.
鈥淲ith the anointment of the President, there will be a spike, toward the 20s. That will make us very competitive鈥 with the front-runners Sen. Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay,鈥 Salceda said.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Roxas now needed to consolidate his political base, by 鈥渞unning after鈥 the members of the coalition formed under the Aquino banner.
READ: Roxas a 鈥榲ery misunderstood guy鈥 鈥 Belmonte
He said Roxas should 鈥渟mile more,鈥 look less serious in order to help the masses relate to him as a candidate.
鈥淚鈥檓 very confident of him. Without question, he鈥檚 the most qualified. He has experience and integrity,鈥 Belmonte said.
Roxas just needs to 鈥渋mprove his PR,鈥 he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 lacking in that department. He looks too serious,鈥 he added.
Most prepared
Former Sen. Wigberto Ta帽ada described Roxas as the 鈥渕ost prepared to be the next President because of his knowledge, his experience, his commitment as a public servant.鈥
鈥淗e is clean and honest, so I think he is the most deserving of our support as our next President,鈥 he said.
He said symbols derived from the Aquino campaign should help boost Roxas standing with the public.
鈥淏y wearing yellow, it shows the values we continue to plant in the consciousness of our people: Honesty, cleanliness, courage, firmness, and integrity,鈥 Ta帽ada said.
Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone noted that Roxas鈥 campaign color used to be blue.
鈥淏ut now, we鈥檙e talking about continuity, so it鈥檚 hard to change colors,鈥 he said.
Evardone said the campaign wished to avoid a repeat of the 1992 presidential election when the candidate of the dominant party, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Ramon Mitra, lost to Fidel V. Ramos.
Ramos was endorsed by President Corazon Aquino, who resisted tremendous pressure from the ruling party in making her choice.
鈥淣ow, the difference is that we鈥檙e the dominant party, and the President is in the dominant party, and he has endorsed Mar,鈥 Evardone said.
MAKE YOUR MAMA PROUD Roxas clan matriarch Judy Araneta-Roxas is a picture of maternal pride after President Aquino declared all-out support for her son, Mar Roxas, in the 2016 presidential election. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
Formidable task
Sen. Ralph Recto said Roxas鈥 task ahead of him was formidable.
鈥淗e has to show he is better than the President and better than all other candidates. People want more. You cannot be just equal to or less than [the person you鈥檙e trying to replace]. He should be greater than President Aquino,鈥 he said.
Recto said Roxas did not need to try to erase his image as an 鈥渆litist.鈥 鈥淢aybe he just needs more exposure. There鈥檚 a possibility he will endear himself to the public again,鈥 he said.
Social activist Leah Navarro, a campaigner for Mr. Aquino and now for Roxas, said she believed the Aquino magic should do wonders for the Roxas candidacy.
鈥榊ellow has always been the color since 2009, since the campaign began. I think the symbolism here is not that Mar is adopting the color, but that it has been his color,鈥 she said.
鈥淚n the fifth year of the Aquino administration, we have to show we are in the same boat. That鈥檚 the story,鈥 she said.
Even retired policemen, including classmates of sacked Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, threw their support for the presidential run of Roxas.
Former PNP Deputy Director General Felipe Rojas Jr. said he believed Roxas was the most capable among the politicians who had expressed their interest to seek the presidency in the 2016 elections.
For retired PNP Director Cipriano Querol Jr., Roxas was the best man to continue the gains of President Aquino鈥檚 reform program.
Rojas and Querol were both classmates of Purisima, one of the President鈥檚 closest friends in the government who became Roxas鈥 critics, in the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1981.
They were among several former PNP officials who attended the President鈥檚 formal endorsement of Roxas as his successor.
Closer to the goal
鈥淢any of us in the uniformed service want to see the continuation of the straight path of President Aquino. I think the endorsement of Secretary Roxas was a step closer toward attaining that goal,鈥 Querol said.
While there was no formal organization, Rojas said a number of retired policemen and even military officials had voiced out their support for Roxas.
鈥淚 believe in the competence and efficiency of Secretary Roxas as a leader. He applied business principles to improve the police service,鈥 Rojas said.
Besides Querol and Rojas, retired PNP Director Carmelo Valmoria, the former chief of the Metro Manila police, and former Chief Supt. Jojo Angan, Roxas鈥 former chief aide, were also seen at the event dubbed 鈥淎 Gathering of Friends.鈥
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