SORSOGON CITY—Seven months after he announced he was backing the presidential bid of the Liberal Party’s Manuel Roxas II, Sorsogon Gov. Raul Lee changed his mind and chose Senator Grace Poe instead.
Poe then issued a statement to announce Lee’s endorsement on Monday.
But on Thursday, Lee said all the previous endorsements he made were purely “gossip,” and that his presidential candidate was still Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Lee made his statement even as Binay vowed to continue the anti-poverty programs that he started when he was elected mayor of Makati if elected president.
He sought the support of the more than 10,000 people who gathered in a campaign rally in Tabaco City in Albay. He and the members of his party, United Nationalist Alliance, earlier held a campaign sortie in Sorsogon City where 5,000 supporters gathered.
Lee raised Binay’s hand and told supporters at the jampacked Sorsorgon Provincial Gymnasium that Binay would be the country’s next president.
Confronted by his recent pronouncement about Poe, Lee told reporters not to believe in “rumors.”
‘Wag manalig sa bulung-bulungan. Tsismis lang ‘yon,” Lee said.
“Sabi ko sa tao, salamat at sa lahat ng dumating dito, nandito kayo. Dito n’yo ipinakita ang enthusiasm sa kandidatura ni VP Binay kaya ako masaya because I can feel the pulse of the people.” Asked who his final choice for president was, Lee said “Yung katabi ko [Binay].”
But while Lee’s decision has changed three times on his choice for president until he finally settled for Binay, the governor was consistent in supporting his provincemate, vice presidential candidate Senator Francis Escudero.
“Si Leni Robredo maraming kamag-anak dito. Si Greg Honasan maraming kamag-anak dito. Si Chiz Escudero konti ang kamag-anak, maraming supporters, maraming admirers. Kaya nasa taong-bayan na ‘yon kung ano ang lalabas dito,” Lee said.
“But of course, I am for Binay-Escudero.”
Lee said Binay’s running mate Senator Gregorio Honasan, who also hails from Bicol, would understand his choice of Escudero.
“Senator Greg is a personal friend but my family has long political ties with Escudero. Greg will understand,” Lee said.