'She rejected the offer: sarili bago bayan,' says Lacierda

MANILA – Senator Grace Poe on Friday said she is willing to talk to Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas but added that she will not back out of the presidential race.

''Kilala ko si Sec. Mar. Kahit naman kailan, pwede niya ako kausapin," Poe told radio DZMM. "Ngayon, ang panawagan niya na iyon, kung para sa kabutihan ng bayan, pwede naman talaga kami mag-usap tungkol dyan. Pero ang malinaw ay hindi ako umaatras sa laban."

''Marami na akong pinagdaanan, at ang dala-dala natin dito ay ang mga pangarap at pag-asa ng ating mga kababayan na 'di dapat sigurong dapat ikompromiso," she added.

With just 3 days before election day and still trailing frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte by around 10 points in recent pre-election surveys, Roxas on Friday invited Poe for a dialogue ''for the sake of unity, decency, and democracy."

"I call for unity. I call for decency. I call for democracy. I call for the rule of law," Roxas told reporters at the Liberal Party (LP) headquarters in Quezon City. "Grace Poe, mag-usap tayo."

READ: Mar tells Grace: Mag-usap tayo

Poe said she sees no reason to withdraw from the race at this stage of the game. She added it is also for Roxas to decide whether he will withdraw and offer the Liberal Party's help in the Poe campaign.

''Walang dahilan para gawin ko yon… Parang walang katuturan at dahilan yun. Para sa akin, medyo katraydoran din na bigla na lang kami kami lang ang mag-dedesiyon,'' she said.

Poe said surveys show that she, not Roxas, is the top 2nd choice candidate for president.

''Kung talagang maluwag sa kanyang puso at naniniwala siya na siya ang gustong umatras para lumakas ang aming pwersa, eh bakit hindi? Desisyon niya iyon. Para sa amin, wala na kaming dapat pag-usapan kung iyon ang inaasahan niya sa akin."

Roxas reached out to Poe as Duterte managed to maintain his double-digit lead in the most recent major pre-election surveys, despite allegations of wrongdoing and undeclared wealth hurled at him by Senator Antonio Trillanes.

In his press conference, Roxas did not say whether he is withdrawing from the race.

Poe said, if the administration bet's plan is to convince her to back out, he will only fail.

''Ewan ko sa kanila, basta ako, kumpyansa naman ako na ang ating mga kababayan ay magde-desisyon ng tama. Kung sila eh medyo nagkakaroon ng duda, sinasabi ko na sa kanila, huwag nila akong tingnan na paraan nila para manaig sila. Sapagkat 'di naman na ako naniniwala sa kanilang pamamaraan ng pamamalakad ng gobyerno,'' she said.

Poe, who was once supportive of the administration, has distanced herself from the ruling party and its Daang Matuwid platform. She now believes the Aquino administration has failed to address the needs of the Filipinos.

She added that siding with the administration at this point would be inappropriate.

''Parang 'di naman yata yun naaayon sa aking mga sinasabi at pinaglalaban nitong mga nakaraang buwan,'' she said.

For his part, Roxas ally and Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda noted that Roxas offered Grace a chance to talk "despite his upward rise in surveys."

"Mar was the bigger person. Despite his upward survey numbers, despite people coming to us, and despite the only political machinery in the country, Mar offered to discuss unity talks with Grace. She rejected the offer: sarili bago ang bayan," he said in a Facebook post.

"In all things, Mar remains the statesman! Let's fight the good fight! Ituloy ang laban! Ipanalo na natin ito!"