Binay says meeting with NPC leaders productive, promising

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay met yesterday with leaders of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) to seek their support for his presidential bid in the 2016 elections.

The Vice President and NPC officials described their meeting, which started at noon and lasted for more than two hours, as “productive” and “promising.”

The lunch meeting was held at the NPC headquarters in New Manila, Quezon City, with 16 party officials present.

“Let’s just wait for the results,” Binay told reporters after the meeting when asked if he thought he was able to get the support of NPC members.

Accompanying Binay were 10 leaders of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), his political party.

Binay said he was asked by NPC members about his programs and platforms should he win the presidency next year.

NPC spokesman Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga said the discussion did not focus much on the corruption allegations against the vice president but on his programs and platforms.

“Well, VP Binay gave his defense, which he is very much entitled to. His defense is of course it’s merely politicking, the timing is suspect, people behind it are suspect. Of course what’s important to us is to hear the platforms,” Enverga said.

“Maybe about 80 percent of what we are doing here today is listening to the platforms rather than the issue,” Enverga told reporters.

Mark Cojuangco, son of NPC chairman emeritus Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., said his partymates were given the opportunity to hear Binay’s advocacies and aspirations for the country.

The younger Cojuangco has been vocal about his support for Binay’s presidential bid but he denied lobbying for NPC’s backing for the Vice President.

“Like I said, I will fight for him (to get the party support), which I did today. I explained to them why I openly supported VP Binay. But at the end of the day I’m an NPC member. Many NPC members have their own opinion but we will reconcile these over the coming months,” he said.

Asked what he thinks is Binay’s advantage over other presumptive presidential candidates, Cojuangco said it is his vast experience as a local executive.

Binay arrived at the NPC headquarters before noon with his daughter Sen. Nancy Binay and UNA spokesman Mon Ilagan.

Binay’s other daughter Makati Rep. Abigail Binay and son suspended Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay arrived later.

Enverga said they are set to meet Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II tonight at NPC headquarters.

It was not clear if the NPC would push ahead with its plan to meet with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte tomorrow, as the latter announced yesterday his decision not to run for president next year. 

Members of NPC earlier met with Sen. Grace Poe and Roxas, the anointed presidential candidate of President Aquino.

Sen. Vicente Sotto III, a stalwart of NPC and one of those who attended the meeting, said the NPC meetings with potential presidential candidates would help the party decide who to support in 2016.

Asked if NPC members would support the presidential candidate to be endorsed by the party, Sotto said, “it is possible.”