Duterte remains Lakas-CMD’s top bet for senator despite rejecting alliance

Published November 20, 2021 06:52 PM By TED CORDERO,GMA News

Lakas-CMD said Saturday that President Rodrigo Duterte is still its top choice for senator, despite the chief executive’s rejection of a possible coalition with his daughter Sara’s political party.

“Be that as it may, President Duterte is the top and still the only senator candidate in the list of Mayor Sara and Lakas-CMD, as of the moment,” the party said in a statement.

Duterte on Friday ruled out

 forming a coalition with Lakas-CMD as he called presidential aspirant former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. "a weak leader,” his daughter’s running mate in the May 2022 elections.

Sara, the newly installed chairperson of Lakas-CMD, has announced that she would be backing the presidential bid of Marcos, the standard bearer of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. 

“The President’s opinion on an alliance with Lakas-CMD is nothing new. PDP’s rejection of the BBM-Sara tandem was already relayed to Lakas-CMD last week, and this was revealed by Mayor Inday Sara Duterte in her public statement on November 16,” Lakas-CMD said.

“While both the President and Mayor Sara have been quite clear in their public pronouncements, the only contradiction seems to be coming from Senator Bong Go who belied PDP’s rejection of Lakas’ proposed tandem, contradicting both Mayor Sara and the President’s statements,” the party said.

Earlier this week, Go said PDP-Laban did not reject anyone following the Davao City mayor's claim that the ruling party turned down her request to support her and Marcos Jr.’s candidacies for vice president and president, respectively. 

“While we do not blame Senator Bong Go or PDP for this inconsistency given the current climate within their party, we continue to call for unity for the good of our country,” Lakas-CMD said.

Duterte has endorsed the presidential bid of Go, his closest ally and former aide. 

Both Go and Duterte are running under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan despite being members of the PDP-Laban due to the legal issues hounding the ruling party.

The PDP-Laban is now the subject of a controversy before the Commission on Elections as two factions—one led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and the other by senators Manny Pacquiao and Aquilino Pimentel III—are claiming control of the ruling party. — VBL, GMA News

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