Dasmarinas City Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr., the NUP vice president for external affairs, said a tandem of Roxas as the Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet and Senator Grace Poe as his vice presidential running mate next year is more likely.

The NUP is allied with the administration’s Liberal Party. The LP vice chairman, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., has been named honorary chairperson of the NUP.

“I expect the President to pick Secretary Roxas. As the party chairman, you would want your successor to belong with the party. Winnability is important, yes, but it’s still too early to know that [winnability of a candidate],” Barzaga said.

Barzaga was reacting to speculations that the President may choose a non-LP member in the person of Poe as the administration’s presidential candidate in 2016 following reports that Poe met with Mr. Aquino on Monday last week.

 “Secretary Mar is tested and qualified. The LP has a solid political machinery, and the President’s choice will be very crucial in forming a formidable lineup which includes bets for vice president and 12 senators,” Barzaga said.

Roxas, who is the Liberal Party’s president-on-leave, was supposed to be the LP’s standard bearer in 2010. But  Roxas  gave way to Aquino in the 2010 presidential race and slid down as  his vice presidential candidate.

.

“I see a Mar-Grace tandem, and that would make a credible fight,” Barzaga said.

The LP wants Roxas as its presidential bet next year, but Mr. Aquino has said that the decision will not be made by the LP alone, but by a broad coalition that has been continuously meeting to arrive at the final choice for the administration standard bearer.

Mr. Aquino has said he expects the preferred candidate would be named by June this year.