PNoy fears Filipinos may vote on ‘human interest perspective’ of bets

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday expressed worry that Filipino voters would decide based on the “human interest perspective” of the presidential candidates and not on their qualifications.

At the Publish Asia conference held at the Manila Hotel, Aquino was asked what will happen to the “Daang Matuwid” or straight path policy of his administration if his endorsed candidate, former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, will not be able to clinch the presidency as the pre-election surveys so far indicate.

“We have opponents who have been campaigning for the longest time and have...Let's admit it, they had --- in a sense --- stories that were more interesting from my human interest perspective,” Aquino said.

“Now, by the time our people get to the polling place, they will not have enough time to really digest the issues and see as to who will actually carry out the reforms that we have been doing,” he added.

Roxas is campaigning on the promise of continuity in terms of the government’s programs, including the bottom-up budgeting, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and PhilHealth benefits.

The administration's standard-bearer has yet lead in presidential preference surveys by Pulse Asia and the Social Weather Stations.

No opposition

Aquino, meanwhile, said that the 2016 presidential election is “unique” in the sense that even the opponents of the administration standard bearer are promising to continue and improve on what his administration has started.

“I think, even a surface perusal of all of the platforms of their opponents basically say that they will not stop any of our programs, policies or projects, but rather they will enhance,” Aquino said.

“Perhaps, this is unique in the sense that nobody can really be branded as primarily opposition. It seems like everybody wants to say that they will do exactly what we did but they will do it better,” he added.

Aquino cited for instance the campaign promise of Roxas’ rivals that they will expand the 4Ps after a survey indicated that 80 percent or four out of five Filipinos want the said anti-poverty program to continue beyond the present administration. —ALG, GMA News