The President of the Republic of the Philippines, Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III officially endorsed, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas as the standard-bearer of the ruling Liberal Party for the 2016 Presidential Elections. The endorsement and official announcement of Pres. Aquino was held at the historic Club Filipino in San Juan City.
The announcement was expected by political analysts who noted that during the last SONA of President Aquino, he keeps on mentioning the achievement of Sec. Mar Roxas and the President’s intentions to continue with his “Daang Matuwid” program.
During the announcement Pres. Aquino was quoted as saying ““Doon na tayo sa siguradong itutuloy ang daang matuwid, at ang taong iyon ay si Mar Roxas,” Aquino said.
The historic Club Filipino is the same place where President Aquino declared his own presidential bid in the 2010 elections. It was also the place where his late mother, Pres. Corazon Aquino was sworn in as President in the 1986 EDSA Revolution after leading the “People Power” that ousted the late strongman Pres. Ferdinand Marcos.
The DILG secretary Mar Roxas dropped his presidential ambition during the 2010 elections to give way to Pres. Aquino, who belatedly decided to join the presidential elections after the death of his mother, Pres. Cory Aquino in August 2009.
The endorsement of Mar Roxas as the standard-bearer of the Liberal Party was seen by many as his way of paying back to a friend and party mate, who once sacrificed his presidential bid for him and to continue his program, “Daang Matuwid.”
