Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. attends a campaign rally ahead of the May 2022 national elections. (Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Ranking congressmen only had good things to say about President Marcos' intention to coalesce with other political parties to form an administration coalition that would field candidates in the May 2025 mid-term elections.

Deputy Majority Leader Isabela 6th district Rep. Faustino “Inno” Dy, Assistant Majority Leader Nueva Ecija, 1st district Rep. Mikaela Angela “Mika” Suansing, Assistant Majority Leader Taguig City 2nd district Rep. Amparo Maria “Pammy” Zamora, and Deputy Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre all commended Marcos' penchant for unity, which the President’s call espoused.

Marcos chairs the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), which he joined shortly before the May 2022 national elections.

“Bilang isang miyembro po ng Lakas[-Christian Muslim Democrats], ako po siyempre masaya po ako na ‘yun po ang ninanais ng ating mahal na Pangulo (As a member of Lakas-CMD, of course I'm happy with the desire of our beloved President), given [that] from the beginning during the campaign period his message was all about unity,” Dy told a press conference Thursday, May 2.

“And so, it is really just appropriate [that] under I guess sa coalition and alliances between the parties na [that] we continue on that path of unity for the sake of progress, for the sake of development in our country," he added.

Lakas-CMD is led by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, arguably Marcos' top lieutenant in the legislature, if not the entire bureaucracy.

"I’m very excited because I believe this administration and our dear President is that factor that can really unite the different parties,” Suansing said during the same presser.

“And of course, our Speaker, Speaker Martin Romualdez who is also our leader in Lakas-CMD, we’ll defer to his wisdom in terms of working through this potential alliance across the different parties. But Speaker Romualdez also done a very, very good job in uniting the different parties within Congress to work together towards passing the landmark legislation,” noted Suansing.

HAVE YOU READ THIS?

https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/12/speaker-hopeful-of-improved-ties-with-dutertes-says-uni-team-still-exists-1

Zamora and Acidre similarly gave positive statements during the presser on the Marcos-led PFP's planned administration coalition in next year's polls.

“We’re very very happy na gusto niya makipag-coalesce sa iba’t-ibang partido lalo dito sa House (that he wants to coalesce with the different parties here in the House). Magandang balita ‘yan sa amin kasi ibig sabihin nun kaisa namin ang Presidente (That's good news for us because that means we are one with the President)," said Zamora, a Nacionalista Party (NP) stalwart.

"Hindi lang siya nagsosolo sa kanyang partido pero kaisa kami (He isn't content on being solo in his party, he is with us).And it will always bring us forward,” she said.

For his part, Acidre said: “Bilang bahagi ng isang koalisyon ng mga party-list na sumusuporta sa administrasyon, natutuwa tayo dito sa panawagan ng Presidente na magkaisa ang mga partido political sa pagsulong ng isang common agenda sa pangunguna po ng ating Pangulo.”

(As a part of a collation of party-lists that support the administration, we are delighted by this appeal of the President to unite the political parties in furthering one common agenda, while following our President's lead.)

Marcos ran under the so-called UniTeam ticket in 2022. He and his running mate, then-Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, scored historic majority victories in the presidential and vice presidential race, respectively.

Meanwhile, six out of the UniTeam's 11 senatorial candidates won seats in the Senate.