CEBU CITY—President Rodrigo Duterte may eventually endorse the candidacy of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, former Agrarian Reform secretary John Castriciones said here on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022.
Castriciones said Duterte may back Moreno because most of the members of the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRDNECC) were supporting the Manila mayor for the upcoming elections.
Catriciones is the founding president of MRRDNECC.
Castriciones said the core group of MRRDNECC is composed of personalities who were appointed by the President as either secretaries or undersecretaries.
Among the leaders of the group are Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Martin Dino, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Aimee Nero, National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Secretary Noel Felongco, DAR Undersecretary Emily Padilla and Commission on Higher Education Commissioner (CHED) Dr.Arnold Adamat, among others,.
According to Castriciones, who is also running for senator, MRRDNECC has at least two million members, and helped launch a successful campaign for Duterte in the 2016 elections.
MRRDNECC, which is also supporting the vice presidential bid of Sara Duterte-Carpio, has already informed the President of its stand to support Moreno.
“There’s a big possibility that the President will endorse Isko Moreno. But we respect the pronouncement of the President. If he says otherwise, so be it, But as of now, since he has not made any pronouncement yet, then we are inclined to believe that he allows us to continue our position on the matter,” Castriciones said in a press conference here on Friday.
Castriciones was in Cebu to grace the opening of his campaign headquarters in Barangay Cogon-Ramos, Cebu City.
Castriciones is running under the banner of Aksyon Demokratiko, whose standard bearer is Moreno.
Castriciones said he was the founding president of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), but decided to leave the group and moved to the faction of PDP-Laban that is led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
While in Cebu, Castriciones met with his supporters and promised to craft laws that will benefit the farmers.
Providing land to farmers will be his main agenda if voted in the Senate as it will give farming a big boost.
“I wanted to craft laws that would give voice to our farmers and also in order to enhance agriculture. We will not only give away lands to our farmers but to all poor citizens of our country who like to venture into agriculture,” he said.
The need to have a sufficient supply was highlighted when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, said Castriciones.
By giving free lands, it will lure more people to go into farming, which is the best way to help establish a sufficient food supply in the country, Castriciones said.