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Ninong Danding said I can woo NPC members to my side—Bongbong Marcos


Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday dropped the name of businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco to counter the impact of the Nationalist People's Coalition's endorsement of Senator Francis Escudero's vice presidential candidacy.

“Ang ninong ko, si Tito Danding ko. Di ba siya ang nagbuo ng NPC. Siyembre lahat ng ginagawa ko sa politika ay kinukunsulta ko sa kanya," said Marcos, referring to businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco.

Cojuangco, an influential figure during the dictatorship of Marcos' father and namesake, is the founder of the NPC and is believed to continue to hold a huge influence on party members despite his retirement from politics.

"Iyan ang kanyang sinabi sa akin na pababayaan daw niya ang mga members na mamili ng kanilang mga magiging kandidato,” Marcos told reporters at the sidelines of the second day of his campaign sortie in Rizal province.

On Monday, the NPC, the second largest political party in the country, formally adopted Senators Grace Poe and Escudero as its official bets for president and vice president, respectively.

The party's president Deputy Speaker Giorgidi Aggabao said the decision to adopt Poe and Escudero was reached after several months of meetings and consultations with its members.

Aggabao said about 90 percent of party stalwarts favored endorsing the two candidates.

Marcos, however, remains confident that he can still win the support of some NPC members, especially after he was given permisison by his godfather Cojuangco to talk with his friends in the party.

“Siya (Cojuangco) naman ay kanyang sinasabi sa kanyang mga miyembro sa NPC ay open siya basta sa Vice (President)," Marcos said.

"Kaya nag-permiso ako sa kanya na kung pwede kong lapitan ang kanyang mga miyembro at sabi niya kung lumapit ka at mga kaibigan mo rin naman yan, bahala na silang mamili, bahala na silang magdesisyon,” he added.

Marcos further said that just like what happened in previous elections, the endorsement of the party's leadership does not necessarily translates to endorsement by its local members.

“Maliwanag na dito sa halalang ito ay nagtatawiran ang mga miyembro. Kaya't umaasa pa ako na makakuha ng malaking suporta sa mga miyembro ng NPC," Marcos said.

"Kahit na ganun ang announcement ay iyun ang announcement ng sabihin na nating leadership pero yung rank and file ay palagay ko marami pa tayong malalapitan diyan at marami na akong nakausap sa kanila at marami na silang nag-commit sa akin,” he added.

Marcos cited as example NPC stalwart Isabela Governor Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, who had earlier officially endorsed his candidacy during his campaign sortie in Isabela.

“Iyan ay magandang ihalimbawa, dahil kung maaalala ninyo pag-ikot ko sa Isabela kasama ko si Governor Dy, kasama ko si Congressman (Napoleon) Dy, kasama ko lahat ng pamilyang Dy,” he said.

During his sortie Isabela last week, the Dys expressed support for Marcos' candidacy.

Meanwhile, in his campaign sortie in Pangasinan early this month, another NPC member, gubernatorial candidate Mark Cojuangco, Danding's son endorsed his vice presidential candidacy. -NB, GMA News

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