Roxas, Liberals ally with Left to boost ratings

SENATOR Mar Roxas is allying himself with the Left to boost his stock among the poor, who comprise the majority of voters, and increase his chances for the presidency next year, says Senator Franklin Drillon, chairman of the Liberal Party of which Roxas is a member.

Roxas spoke before leftist activists in Diliman, Quezon City, outside Congress on July 27 and delivered his own version of President Arroyo’s State-of-the-Nation Address ahead of her.

But Drilon doused speculation that Roxas was now espousing leftist beliefs, although he confirmed that his party had begun talks with Akbayan and other leftist party-list organizations for a possible alliance for next year’s national elections.

He says Roxas’ decision to join the street demonstrators last week was a way of reaching out to the vote-savvy poor, adding that while Roxas’ rating in the presidential surveys has been improving, his level of support among the lower classes leaves much to be desired.

“By economic class his strongest source of support is the AB classes, but the bulk of the voters is in the CDE bracket,” Drilon said.

“He has to connect [with them].”

Roxas tied with former President Joseph Estrada for first place, with 15 percent each, in the second quarter Pulso ng Pilipino survey of presidential candidates conducted by the Issues and Advocacy Center, in which Roxas gained 9 points from the previous survey.

They were followed by Senator Manuel Villar (14 percent), Vice President Noli de Castro and Senator Francis Escudero (13 percent), and Senator Loren Legarda (9 percent).

Drilon says Roxas’ presidential bid is in full swing, and that there is no turning back. They are now organizing various LP chapters all over the country, linking with allies and organizing friends and supporters into Roxas campaign units.

Quite visible in the LP’s activities are the members of the anti-Arroyo Black and White Movement, a group started by 10 former members of Mrs. Arroyo’s Cabinet.

But group spokesman Leah Navarro says they have yet to make a stand on Roxas’ candidacy.

“There are individuals within the Black and White Movement who are active supporters of Mar, but there are also others supporting other candidates,” she said.

“In the interest of fairness, very soon we will have a caucus and see if we can have a common stand,” she said, but added she was leaning toward Roxas.

“If we are looking at what he has accomplished, he seems to have accomplished a lot in the government,” she said. –Fel V. Maragay, Manila Standard Today