Puno Welcomes Roxas' Decision to Run for VP

September 21, 2009

Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government(DILG) yesterday welcomed the decision of Sen. Mar Roxas to vie for the vice presidency under the Liberal Party banner in the May 2010 elections.

Puno, who is the preferred choice of the Lakas-Kampi CMD as its vice presidential candidate next year, acknowledged that the tandem of Senators Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas is currently the closest rival to his teamup with Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, who was chosen as standard bearer by the administration party’s National Executive Committee last week.

But Puno pointed out that the campaign period is still a good four months away, with voters still generally unaware of the specific vision of government and proposed programs that each candidate will vow to implement.

“We welcome the announcement of Sen. Roxas to run for vice president next year,” Puno said. “The challenge now is for us to bring our message to the public and explain the program of government that we envision so that our voters would be able to make wise choices come Election Day.”

Puno said that he doubts whether Roxas’ pitch for reforms would mean that his teamup with Aquino will come out with solutions to the country’s woes radically different from what the Arroyo administration is implementing now.

“If we look at the programs that the President had implemented  to improve our economy and ensure peace and order, such as her initiatives to continue the peace process with the MILF and the NDF, I don’t think all these will be different at all to what the opposition would also be proposing,” Puno said.

In jest, Puno said of Roxas’ vice presidential bid: “Well, mas matangkad,mas magandang lalaki siya at mas bata (He’s taller, more good-looking and younger than me).”

But Puno pointed out that he believes his extensive experience in the government service will prove to be his biggest asset,  especially in the area of dealing with local government concerns.