President Aquino confirmed Wednesday that tinkering with the Constitution to lift term limits so he can run again is not his priority, but indicated he was not yet ready to endorse Interior Secretary Mar Roxas of the ruling LIberal Party as his anointed candidate in the 2016 presidential elections.
Reminded at a Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) forum about his desire to preserve reforms and programs of his administration, Aquino replied “no” when asked if he was still thinking of running for president to extend his term.
“Honestly…Hindi, can I just reiterate for the nth time; when we look at the Constitution, the priority is, to me, the issue of judicial overreach. Second, ‘yung members of Congress, meaning the House and the Senate, think the economic provisions have to be looked into,” Aquino said.
At the end of the day, Aquino added, “I think I have stated this publicly, [that] even if I were to get a second term, I am only human, right? All of us will be called by God at some point in time. It cannot rest in just one individual.”
The President pointed out that “the empowerment of the people and their ability to get a candidate that really responds to them is, I think, the legacy that one would have.”
“Even if I were to have a second term, that would still be a personal need of mine that iyong — I would like to — parang rule…the maxim that the measure of success is your ability to train your successor works in the country or is operative in the Philippines,” he explained.
Asked pointblank if he was referring to his losing 2010 vice presidential bet now Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Aquino curtly replied: “I will tell you at the appropriate time.”