POE TO LP: ONLY VOTERS CAN GUARANTEE VICTORY

Amid overtures for her to give way to the administration's presidential bet, Sen. Grace Poe said no alliance will guarantee a candidate's victory in the May 9 elections because the ultimate decision-makers are the voters.

Visiting Manaoag on the last day of the national campaign, the independent presidential candidate said abandoning her presidential bid--after promising to do what she can to lift Filipinos out of poverty--would be a betrayal of the trust people have placed in her and her platform of government.

"What can guarantee anybody's victory? Sa akin naman, hindi naman ito commitment sa kanila--commitment sa tao ito. Ilang buwan kong sinasabi, 'ito ang gusto kong gawin para sa inyo, para sa bayan.' Tapos kami lang ang magdedesisyon sa huli? Hindi ba dapat sa balota 'yon dinedesisyunan?" Poe told media in an interview (at 10 A.M.) after a quick stop at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag.

Poe, running mate Sen. Francis Escudero and the senatorial bets under their Partido Galing at Puso were in Pangasinan for a campaign rally in Urdaneta, their last stop before the miting de avance at Plaza Miranda in Manila today.

Two days before elections, Poe said there was no way she was backing out of the race and reneging on her promise of a "Gobyernong may Puso," which is anchored on genuine inclusive growth, transparency in government and global competitiveness.

The ruling Liberal Party, whose supporters had initially sought to disqualify Poe from the presidential race, is now seeking an alliance with the senator to defeat a dictatorship that it said would happen under survey frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City.

"Hindi mo mapapalitan ang isip ng mga kababayan sa ganoong paraan lamang. Kailangan ilahad mo ano ang iyong plataporma na kontra o mas makakabuti kaysa doon sa mga makakalaban mo," Poe said.

"Kasi para sa akin, kahit na magsama-sama pa lahat kayong magkakalaban diyan, hindi nga ito process of elimination. Ang pipiliin ng tao (ay) kung sino ang sa tingin nila makatotohanan, makakagawa ng mabuti--'yon ang basehan. So, siguro, linawin nila kung ano ang mensahe nila," she said.

Poe, who is still ahead of LP standard bearer Mar Roxas in pre-election surveys, said she has not received any text or call from Roxas, who made a public appeal for a meeting with Poe.

"Basta sa akin, kahit sino pa ang kandidato na gustong makipag-usap tungkol sa kapayapaan, tungkol sa pagsasama-sama patungo sa isang layunin o isanggoal, bakit hindi? Basta lamang gawin namin 'yung aming paniniwala, 'yung aming paninindigan. At kung ano na 'yung commitment namin sa tao," she said.