Poe: Daang matuwid not exclusive to one group

Grace shares Noy desire for reforms

MANILA, Philippines - While Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II is widely recognized as the preferred successor of President Aquino, Sen. Grace Poe said daang matuwid or the straight path is not exclusive to one person or a select group.

“The straight path is not one that is reserved for a few. This should be taken by more of us. It may have different turns but the final destination is still the same – that is, to deliver what is needed for the greater good of the nation,” Poe said in a speech yesterday at the 3rd Development Bank of the Philippines Good Governance Forum.

“Even if we do not walk together on the straight path, as long as we have the same destination, that is what’s important,” she said.

Poe reiterated that she and the President continue to have a good relationship and a common understanding that they share the same vision, even if they disagree on some issues.

“You can be a principled ally of this administration and it is more valuable because it underscores the real importance of our loyalty to the people. Ahead of everything else, it is our loyalty to the mandate and the trust given to us,” Poe said.

In an interview with reporters after her speech, Poe said she and the President have the same desire to continue the reforms the administration has initiated.

Aquino has repeatedly said he would endorse a candidate who would be able to carry on the “daang matuwid” or straight path policy.

Poe, a first-term senator, is reportedly eyeing a presidential run in next year’s polls, although she has maintained that she is still “discerning.”

The President met with Poe on four occasions, supposedly to ask her to join the Liberal Party as the running mate of Roxas for the 2016 elections.

The meetings ended with no agreements. According to Poe, no formal offer of any position was made by the President.

The past few months were rife with speculation that Poe and Sen. Francis Escudero would be running as a tandem in the 2016 polls.

The two senators have separately expressed their support for each other and their preference to run as a team if ever they decide to seek higher posts in 2016.

“No party, the LP or whoever, has a monopoly on good intentions, talent, intelligence and hard work for the country. At the end of the day, I don’t think any one person or any one party, group or organization can ever hold the monopoly of good intentions for the country,” Escudero said.