Drilon: Opposition must go beyond anti-Duterte platforms in Eleksyon 2022

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday said the opposition must go beyond anti-Duterte platforms, and instead present better policies for the country's COVID-19 response for Eleksyon 2022.

“For one, the opposition must go beyond an anti-Duterte platform. The opposition must present a platform that says that we can do better. We can do better in the pandemic response, because these were the errors committed and these are what we are going to do. We’re faced with a very difficult problem, our economy is in shambles and this is how we intend to revive the economy,” Drilon, a stalwart of the opposition party—Liberal Party— said in an ANC interview.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker categorically stated that the Liberal Party will rally behind Vice President Leni Robredo should she decide to gun for the presidency in 2022.

“Let me make it very, very clear that all the Liberal Party members would rally behind Vice President Leni Robredo should she run for presidency which is a personal decision. Now, if she does not run for presidency, then the Liberal Party would have to meet and see where we will go from there,” he said.

Drilon said the LP is also open to alliances if Robredo won’t pursue the presidential seat in 2022.

He likewise expressed support to the opposition coalition 1Sambayan’s move to field one candidate against the administration’s possible presidential bets.

Drilon said it is a “very difficult task, but that is what is needed” given the current political situation.

“We do hope that the opposition could come up with only one candidate because in the next year’s elections, as in any elections in the past, the administration would always have the advantage and we must exert every effort to oppose the administration candidate,” he said.

“As we said, we should only have one candidate. We cross our fingers that Vice President Leni will decide to run for the President. And I believe she is the strongest and hopefully, she can unite all the non-Duterte candidates,” the senator added.

Asked whether another Duterte sitting as President would be good for the country, Drilon said it is a matter that the Filipino people will decide on.

“That is why we have an election,” Drilon said.

Last Saturday, 1Sambayan named Robredo, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Senator Grace Poe, CIBAC Party-list Representative Eddie Villanueva, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, and Batangas Representative Vilma Santos-Recto as its Eleksyon 2022 president, vice president nominees.

Poe and Santos-Recto said they have no plans for the presidency in 2022.

Senator Joel Villanueva, son of the CIBAC partylist representative, said his father is not inclined to gun for the country’s highest post due to the recent “tragedies” in their family.

Diokno and Trillanes said they are open to pursue these positions, but their decisions hinge on Robredo’s plans for 2022. —KG, GMA News