The influential Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) has endorsed the tandem of UniTeam presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Aside from the Marcos-Duterte duo, the INC has also endorsed the following senatorial bets for the May 9 polls:
Guillermo Eleazar
Robin Padilla
Jinggoy Estrada
Joseph Victor Ejercito
Miguel Zubiri
Loren Legarda
Francis Escudero
Jejomar Binay
Alan Peter Cayetano
Sherwin Gatchalian
Mark Villar
Joel Villanueva
The official endorsement was announced during Tuesday night, May 3's news broadcast by the NET 25 television network.
The INC is known for its practice of “bloc voting” wherein the church expects its members to vote for its endorsed candidates.
According to a 2015 Philippine Statistics Authority Census, there are about 2.6 million members; as a Christian denomination, it is the third largest religion in the Philippines.
In 2016, the INC similarly endorsed then-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Sara’s father, who ran for the presidency; and former senator Marcos, who ran for vice president.
Marcos’s spokesperson, lawyer Vic Rodriguez issued a statement Tuesday night thanking the INC for its endorsement of the UniTeam duo.
“Ang tambalang Bongbong Marcos-Sara Duterte ay buong kababaang loob na tinatanggap ang pag indorso ng mga kapatiran natin mula sa Iglesia Ni Cristo sa pangunguna ng Tagapamahalang Pangkalahatan Kapatid Eduardo Manalo (The Marcos-Duterte tandem humbly accepts the endorsement of the congregation from the INC led by Eduardo Manalo),” Rodriguez said.
“Ang ganitong uri ng pagtitiwala ang siyang magiging gabay nila presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos at vice presidential leader Inday Sara Duterte sa pamumuno ng ating bansa sakaling sila ay palarin at ihalal ninyo sa darating na eleksyon sa ika-9 ng Mayo (This kind of trust will guide presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos and vice presidential leader Inday Sara Duterte in leading our country in the event that they are elected in the May 9 elections),” he concluded.