FPJ wants 2 more weeks to decide bid

Action star Fernando Poe Jr. needs two more weeks to decide if he would join next year’s race for the presidency.

FPJ, as he is better known, would first like to check if the groups pushing him to run for president are actually from the masses.

Sen. Vicente Sotto III, who has been given the job to convince FPJ, said Poe does not want to be beholden to any politician or business interest.

"FPJ wants to make sure that there are no politician or ... business group behind his candidacy because if there is one thing that I am sure and I am very positive about is that no politician or business group will be able to convince him to run and seek the presidency," he said.

Sotto said that if ever Poe decides to run for president next year, it would be because of the Filipino people, and no other reason.

"So... in case he is chosen, he will not be beholden to any politician or any interest group, but beholden to the people," he said.

Sotto said an announcement which Poe was scheduled to make today had to be postponed because the action star still had to check who are the people pushing him to run.

"I have met with Fernando Poe Jr. last night, and we both agreed that we have to validate the so-called private sector support that he has been receiving," he said.

"He wants to be able to have consultative meetings and dialogues with these different people before finally deciding, and therefore a little over a week should be the best time (to announce his decision)," he added.

Sotto said supporters of Poe’s presidential bid are negotiating with various groups to determine who could be his vice presidential running mate.

"The growing sentiment of some of our members is that the vice presidential candidate can come from the same... expanded list that the opposition is looking at," he said.

"But as I have said, we still have to formalize everything together with other possible party candidates."

At the House of Representatives, Minority Leader Carlos Padilla said Poe would have to go through a rigid selection process before he could be declared as the opposition’s standard-bearer.

"FPJ would have to go through the selection process just like any other presidential wannabe for the united opposition," he said.

"He has to convince us that he is the most suitable candidate for the united opposition. The choice should come from the majority of our members rather than the decision of just a few individuals," Padilla said.

On the other hand, Makati Rep. Agapito Aquino, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino secretary general, said a majority of opposition congressmen wants Sen. Panfilo Lacson to be their standard bearer.

"(Lacson) embodies the ideals of the opposition which is the pursuit of a graft-free government," he said. "Many of our members in Congress also admire his courage and toughness as a relentless adversary of this corrupt, but powerful Arroyo administration."

Lacson said he had not yet talked with Poe, and that he had not personally heard from him that he would be running in next year’s elections.

"Have you heard from FPJ?" he asked. "We have heard from (Sen. Vicente) Sotto (III), Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Edgardo Angara, but not from FPJ. Until and unless FPJ decides, we will wait and see. Mr. Danding Cojuangco appeared to have decided not to run. So it is now between FPJ and myself."

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Juan Flavier said Poe could draw votes from Mrs. Arroyo if he decides to run for president.

"I was informed that FPJ will declare his decision within the next 48 hours," he said. "If he does, that will be a strong factor for the opposition. It may draw away votes from President Arroyo if they solidify as an opposition."

Flavier said his "congressional wisdom" tells him that Poe’s ratings will go up once he declares his candidacy for president.

"FPJ’s rating has been on the rise, but it somehow went down a bit because of his repeated denial that he will run," he said.