Manila: Presidential candidate Mar Roxas has asked Senator Grace Poe to be his running mate in a move apparently aimed at boosting chances for the ruling party to secure dominance in the 2016 electoral contest.

During an interview aired by the GMA News Network’s Unang Hirit early morning programme, Roxas repeated an invitation earlier voiced by President Benigno Aquino III — for Poe to join the Liberal Party as its vice-presidential bet.

“Our party is open. I am open to the possibility, and [the party] is inviting Senator Grace Poe to become part of the tandem that will continue the administration’s Daang Matuwid [Straight Path],” 58-year-old Roxas said.

Poe, who is an independent candidate, has been non-commital.

The 46-year-old daughter of the deceased former local film icon Fernando Poe Jr apologised to Roxas, saying she could not commit to joining at this point.

Poe, with her unblemished, yet short-track record as a public servant, is apparently testing the waters to see whether the figures from surveys would slingshot her to the presidency.

But while Poe scored well in polls, observers said she lacks the political machinery that could be provided by the Liberal Party (LP), or for that matter any other political party that could run a nationwide campaign.

LP bigwigs such as Senate President Franklin Drilon said that while he is in support of a Roxas-Poe team up, the matter is for the two politicians to decide.

“Our position “in the [LP] is that the vice-presidential tandem of Secretary Roxas is something that he [Roxas] must decide by himself, because that [candidate] he or she will be the partner in running the government. So our position is his preference will be the one that will be respected,” Drilon said.

Meanwhile, an attempt to question the Poe’s Filipino citizenship was rejected by the Senate Electoral Tribunal on Wednesday.

A complaint filed by Lito David of Ang Kapatiran Party before the senate electoral tribunal was dismissed after the proponent failed to post the requited P50,000 (Dh4,015) needed to file the appeal.

Based on David’s complaint, Poe was not qualified to run in the 2013 elections where she was elected senator because she has dual citizenship.

But Poe reiterated that she had picked Filipino citizenship when she ran for office in 2013 and had renounced her American citizenship.