- Presidential candidate Mar Roxas admitted conducting talks with INC officials
- Roxas said that the Liberal Party only presented its platform but the INC will have the freedom to decide who to vote for
- Data from SWS show that INC members account for at least 4.25 percent of registered voters
Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II admitted that he and vice-presidential candidate Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo had conducted talks with the leaders of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) to gain the group’s support for their bid in the upcoming national elections.
In an article written by Virgil Lopez for GMA News Online, it was disclosed that the administration’s bets personally met with INC officials late last month.
“Regular meeting, pineresenta namin ang plataporma, pormal na pahayag ng aming plataporma, ang aming priorities [It was a regular meeting. We presented our platform – a formal presentation of our platform and priorities],” Roxas said.
However, Roxas downplayed the issue; saying that it would still be up to the INC if the organization will give their support.
“Ang support naman ay kusang ibinibigay. So binigay namin ang aming plataporma, at alam naman nila ang aming track record, at sa nakatakdang panahon ay magpapasya din sila [Support should be freely given. We just presented our platform. They already know our track record and in due time, they will decide on it],” he added.
Based on the statistical data released by Dr. Mahar Mangahas, president of the Social Weather Station (SWS), the INC accounts for at least 4.25 percent of the total number of registered voters; being composed of 1.53 million members.
The group is known for rendering bloc votes based on the list of candidates released by the organization’s officials.
During the 2010 elections, an SWS exit poll reveals that 77 percent of the INC members voted for President Benigno Simeon Aquino III while 74 percent voted for Roxas, who was a vice-presidential bet back then.
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