NPC bets for 2016 out next week

MANILA, Philippines - Leaders of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) will meet next week to decide whom to endorse among the presidential hopefuls in the 2016 elections, an official said yesterday.

NPC spokesman and Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga said the party will meet to discuss rules or a system in selecting the presidential candidate NPC will support in 2016.

“We will hold a leadership meeting maybe between Wednesday and Friday,” Enverga told The STAR.

Enverga said they would discuss the selection process as NPC members have their individual choices.

He admitted that NPC members are divided at this time, but the party will eventually take a unified stand and support one presidential candidate.

Enverga said the selection process would be “democratic” and may be done through voting.

“We will make sure that all party members will participate in the consultation process. They said they are loyal soldiers. We will get through this critical period,” he said.

The Danding Cojuangco-led NPC is the second biggest political party in the country.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, Liberal Party standard- bearer Manuel Roxas II and Sen. Grace Poe had earlier met with the NPC in a bid to get the party’s support for the 2016 polls.

Unlike Binay and Roxas, Poe remains mum on her 2016 political plans although she has been going around the country meeting with local government leaders and other non-government organizations.

Earlier, the NPC said that 80 percent of its members are inclined to support Poe if she decides to run for president.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is reportedly planning to run for president, has yet to meet with the NPC.