Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang said the President is focused on his work and not on political bickering or horse-trading related to the 2016 polls.

Carandang made the clarification after the President reportedly endorsed the presidential bid of former Senator Mar Roxas 2016 during a recent gathering of Liberal Party stalwarts in Malacañang.

In the meeting, the President had said Roxas could be sitting in his place once his term ends in 2016. "Sana tulungan niyo ang katabi ko para sa 2016 (I hope you will help the one next to me in 2016)," he later told the LP officials and members last Wednesday night, in an apparent hint of the former senator’s supposed presidential plans.

But Carandang tried to downplay the President’s comments about Roxas during a news conference in the Palace.

“When sought for clarification, the President said it was too early to be making any endorsements. So I would not take that, at this point, as an explicit endorsement of Senator Roxas. It is too early. It’s only 2011,” Carandang said.

The President earlier defended the looming appointment of Roxas in his administration, saying he was not Superman and he needed all the help he can get.

Mr. Aquino said he plans to tap Roxas as one of his chief troubleshooters but not necessarily as his chief of staff. He said Roxas would help him in addressing “overlapping” problems facing the cabinet.

Carandang, meantime, said they welcome the addition of Roxas in the Aquino administration.

Genalyn Kabiling, Manila Bulletin