MANILA, Philippines – Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) spokesperson Congressman Mark Enverga said on Tuesday, November 3, that the party is still deliberating on who they will support in the presidential race in 2016.
This is in contrast to earlier pronouncements by party leaders who said that NPC would be supporting surveys front runner Grace Poe, and that it was only a matter of time before they would announce it, after they "fix" matters with the ruling Liberal Party, with which it has a coalition.
"NPC still has no official stand. We left it to the executive committee to decide. Then [the] executive committee will present justifications and then we will talk about it," Enverga told reporters gathered in a press briefing at the House of Representatives.
According to Enverga, NPC formed an executive committee two months ago to screen who among the presidential candidates their party would be supporting.
However, the executive committee has not met frequently since then, causing the delay in the decision.
"Nagkaron ng kaunting antala, dahil nagkaron ng filing [of candidacies], budget hearing dito, naging very much busy ang mga miyembro namin, makatapos nito ay Undas naman," he said.
(There have been a few delays due to some events like filing, budget hearing here [in Congress], All Saints Day. Our members had been very busy.)
He also disclosed the party is also waiting for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's decision if he would run for president. NPC wants him on their shortlist.
"There are many things to consider. We don't know whether Mayor Duterte will be running. There's a possibility he will be running," Enverga said in Filipino. – Rappler.com