Despite his rejection of a possible alliance with Lakas-CMD, President Rodrigo Duterte remains the “top and still the only” senatorial candidate to be endorsed by the political party chaired by his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
Lakas-CMD issued the statement in the wake of the chief executive’s decision to thumb down a possible alliance with the party that has produced two of the country’s presidents- former President Fidel V. Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The elder Duterte reasoned out that he cannot be allied with Lakas-CMD because of the presence of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the party. He described Marcos as a “weak leader.” However, Mayor Duterte, Lakas-CMD bet for next year’s vice presidential race, has opted to run in tandem with Marcos, who will represent the Partido Federal ng PIlipinas that has adopted her as its candidate for the second highest post in the land.
“The President’s opinion on an alliance with Lakas-CMD is nothing new. PDP’s rejection of the BBM-Sara tandem was already relayed to Lakas-CMD last week, and this was revealed by Mayor Inday Sara Duterte in her public statement on November 16,” the Lakas-CMD stated.
“While both the President and Mayor Sara have been quite clear in their public pronouncements, the only contradiction seems to be coming from Senator Bong Go who belied PDP’s rejection of Lakas’ proposed tandem, contradicting both Mayor Sara and the President’s statements,” the party's statement pointed out.
It added: “While we do not blame Senator Bong Go or PDP for this inconsistency given the current climate within their party, we continue to call for unity for the good of our country.” “Be that as it may, President Duterte is the top and still the only Senator candidate in the list of Mayor Sara and Lakas-CMD, as of the moment,” Lakas CMD declared.
Lakas-CMD has decided that it will adopt a standard bearer to run in tandem with Mayor Duterte but it has not yet made any choice from among the presidential aspirants.
It is believed that Marcos will likely be party’s choice considering the fact that he is a first cousin fo Lakas-CMD president and House Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Another strong consideration to this is the decision of Marcos and Mayor Duterte to campaign in tandem for the 2022 polls.
President Duterte has been campaigning for a 2022 partnership between Go, his longtime aide, as president and Mayor Sara, his daughter.
The president abhorred the Marcos-Duterte team up which he made clear in a speech he delivered to local leaders in Oriental Mindoro on Thursday, Nov. 18.
“No, I cannot because andiyan si Marcos eh, hindi ako bilib diyan, he’s really a weak leader, ( Marcos is there, I am not impressed by him, he’s a weak leader),” Duterte said.
“Totoo ‘yan, hindi ako naninira ng tao, kasi spoiled child, only son, of course he can talk, he delivers English articulately, nag[-aral kasi kung saan-saan, pero kung sabihin mo may crisis, ganun, he’s a weak leader and may bagahe siya, (That’s true. I do not want to criticize a person but he is a spoiled child, only son, of course he can talk, he delivers articulate English, becasue he studied in various places, but if there’s a crisis, bhe’s a weak leader and he carries a baggage),” the chief executive added.