Bongbong says endorsement from Cusi-led PDP-Laban faction to consolidate unity forces

TAGAYTAY CITY - Presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday expressed elation over the endorsement of a faction of the ruling PDP-Laban on his candidacy, saying such move will “consolidate the forces of unity.”

The campaign sorties of Marcos and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, are centered on unity. They have emphasized that unity would solve the country’s woes.

“I just wanted to make a statement regarding the endorsement of myself and Inday Sara by the PDP-Laban. Of course we are very very grateful and happy to receive this much-awaited and much hoped for news,” Marcos said in an ambush interview.

“Ang bagong development na ito, [This new development] this will consolidate the forces of unity so that we can continue to work against those who would want to divide Filipinos against each other,” he added.

Marcos said this is what the BBM-Sara UniTeam has been campaigning for: “That is our message and that is our dream—that we bring the country together.”

The PDP-Laban faction under Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi endorsed the presidential candidacy of the former senator as the wing believes that Marcos is the candidate whose platform is most aligned with the development program of its chairman, President Rodrigo Duterte.

Acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar, however, clarified that the Chief Executive is not yet endorsing Marcos.

Weekend meeting

Duterte’s daughter, Mayor Sara, bared that a meeting was held over the weekend prior to the said endorsement. She, however, was not present during the meeting. 

“I was not there in the meeting, I do not know what was discussed but I only knew of the agreement that PDP-Laban will endorse the presidency of BBM,” Mayor Sara said in a separate ambush interview.

“Ako as running mate of Apo BBM is truly grateful to PDP-Laban for their endorsement to the candidacy of President Bongbong Marcos,” she said.

Asked if this is already an endorsement of her father, Mayor Sara said: “I cannot speak for the President, I do not know what he’s thinking right now.”

Meanwhile, Marcos expressed gratitude to the ruling party over its endorsement on his candidacy.

“Malaking pasasalamat namin sa lahat ng ating kaibigan na kasapi sa PDP-Laban sa kanilang ipinahayag na tiwala sa aming dalawa ni Inday Sara at sa buong UniTeam,” he said.

“Maraming salamat sa PDP at sa lahat ng kanilang miyembro at I look forward to working with them at siguro naman hindi magiging ano ‘yun dahil magkakaibigan naman talaga kaming lahat at parang naformalize lang ang aming relasyon, sa ating mga personal relationships with our friends in the PDP-Laban,” he added. 

‘Total strangers’

Another faction of the party, however, slammed the decision.

In a Viber message to reporters, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, whose father, the late Senate President Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., is among PDP-Laban's founders, said the party was established to fight the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Bongbong Marcos' late father.

“With this latest action from Sec. Cusi and his cohorts, they have manifested that they are total strangers to PDP LABAN. They don’t even acknowledge that PDP LABAN was established to oppose the Marcos dictatorship,” Pimentel said.

“In Germany for example, a political party formed to oppose Adolf Hitler will definitely not support an Adolf Hitler Jr. Logic lang yan. Consistent with the PDP LABAN history and party constitution!” he added. — RSJ, GMA News