In a little less than two years, the Filipino people will troop to the polls to elect their next president.  While NoyNoy Aquino loyalists continue to hold on to their dream of six more years for their beloved leader, the Philippine Constitution is clear about the one, six-year term limit for the elected president.  While Vice President Jejomar Binay makes no secret about his intention to run for president in 2016, another political camp closely allied with Aquino is prepping for an all-out campaign to elect Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as the next president.

We, at The Adobo Chronicles, have decided to endorse the candidacy of Roxas.  We have all the great reasons to make this endorsement:

• When typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) hit many towns, cities and provinces in Central Philippines last year, Roxas wasted no time to be on the ground, being the face of the Aquino administration, giving interviews left and right – especially with international media companies like CNN – assuring the world community that everything was under control.  Today, almost eight months since this tragedy, people are still missing; hundreds if not thousands remain homeless;  many government buildings, roads and bridges are still waiting to be  rebuilt; and jobs, especially among those who depend on fishing and agriculture, are nowhere to be found. Indeed, everything is under control.
• When a robbery occurred in a jewelry store in one of Metro Manila’s shopping malls, Roxas was among the first to personally respond to the crime allegedly perpetrated by a notorious gang, assuring the country from inside the mall that things of this nature will not be tolerated. Today, the crime rate and gang activity have not diminished.
• When the country experienced a severe shortage and price hikes for garlic, Roxas rushed to a warehouse in Manila, carrying a 50-kilo (110 pounds) sack of fresh garlic on his shoulder, assuring the Filipinos that they will have ample supply of garlic at affordable prices. The shortage and price hikes only got worse.
• When the country experienced a shortage in rice, the main Filipino staple, Roxas again rushed to one of the government warehouses of the National Food Authority, carrying a 50-kilo sack of imported rice, assuring the people that they will get their daily rice in no time. Many warehouses and retail stores went empty of rice supply soon thereafter.
• In the aftermath of a powerful typhoon that hit Metro Manila just recently, causing one of the worst traffic nightmares ever experienced by people in the metropolis, Roxas took to the streets to personally direct traffic. The gridlock escalated and Manila’s streets became virtual parking lots.

We believe that Roxas’ extraordinary dedication as a public servant and his selfless passion to solve the country’s social and economic problems make him the best qualified to be the next president of the Philippines.

That his wife, Korina Sanchez (yes, the same Korina Sanchez who criticized CNN’s Anderson Cooper for his coverage of typhoon Yolanda), is one of the recognizable faces on television, is definitely a plus.  She would make a great First Lady, perhaps not in terms of collecting thousands of pairs of shoes like Imelda Marcos, but rather thousands of pairs of flip flops.

Roxas and Sanchez will once again put the Philippines on the map!