Good admin record to make bets win

MANILA, Philippines - The track record of the administration would propel its candidates to victory in an election fast becoming a free zone due to lack of an established party system, Malacañang said yesterday.

Various tandems have emerged for the 2016 elections, with President Aquino throwing his full support for administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II and his running mate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo.

Aquino attended mass at the Manila Cathedral yesterday with Roxas and Robredo before the two filed their respective certificates of candidacy at the Commission on Elections main office in Intramuros.

“The President accompanied Secretary Roxas and Congresswoman Robredo at the Manila Cathedral before they went to the Comelec offices to demonstrate his solidarity with them, in his capacity as chairman of the Liberal Party and as titular head of the Daang Matuwid (Straight Path) coalition,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a press briefing.

Aquino said he was “excited” about the developments and prayed for a lot of things, especially since a storm was reportedly coming.

Coloma noted Filipinos remain optimistic even at the last stages of the administration and he expressed hope this would translate to votes during the elections.          

In a freewheeling fight that tends to confuse people, Coloma noted proven performance would help candidates stand out and get voters’ attention.

Aside from the tandems of Sens. Grace Poe and Francis Escudero and that of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Gregorio Honasan II, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago announced yesterday she would run for president with Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as her vice president.

According to Coloma, the record of the Aquino administration is open for public scrutiny and “we are confident it will withstand or it will pass the test” of the people come election time.

“The Aquino administration has purposively established an open, transparent and accountable governance system pursuant to the goals of Daang Matuwid,” Coloma said.  – With Delon Porcalla