Allies call for unity, vow to 'do anything' to save UniTeam

Key figures in the UniTeam coalition on Thursday underscored the need to remain united in the face of apparent discord between the Marcos and Duterte families, vowing to do everything possible to save the alliance.

Senator Imee Marcos said she would do anything to keep the tandem of her brother, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., and Vice President Sara Duterte united.

The lawmaker issued the remark amid the exchange of strong statements between the President and former President Rodrigo Duterte, the father of the incumbent vice president.

"Let me be candid. I will do anything to salvage the UniTeam... I'm determined to salvage whatever shreds remain of that unity. It is good for our country, it is good for development and for our future," the senator said in an ANC interview.

Senator Marcos has revealed that she was the one who convinced Sara, a former mayor of Davao City before her rise as vice president, to be her brother's running mate for the 2022 presidential elections.

She also disclosed that she was the one who coined the term "UniTeam."

For his part, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who sought reelection in 2022 as part of the UniTeam senatorial ticket, said he shared Senator Marcos' stand and that he would do "everything in my capacity to maintain unity" among the country's political leaders.

"As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, our country will still face numerous internal and external challenges in the near future. This is the time that all of us, including our top leaders, should be united to overcome these challenges. Unity is what will make us strong and indestructible times of adversity," Gatchalian told GMA News Online.

'Only through unity'

Meanwhile, former Duterte spokesman Harry Roque echoed the sentiments of the President's sister and Gatchalian.

''UniTeam has to be saved as it is only through unity that we can meet all the challenges facing the country. We hope PBBM, the Presidential Cousin, the Speaker and the FL feel the same way.'' Roque told GMA News Online.

Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon also expressed support for the goal of the Chief Executive's sister to save the UniTeam.

''Ako man ay naniniwala at sumusuporta sa layunin ni Senator Imee Marcos na gawin ang lahat ng paraan na makakaya niya upang mapag-ayos ang alleged sigalot o hindi pagkakaunawaan between the camps of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. and former President Dutere,'' Gadon told GMA News Online.

(I believe in and support the goal of Senator Imee Marcos to exert all possible means to resolve the alleged misunderstanding between the camps of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. and former President Duterte.)

Both Roque and Gadon ran for senator in the 2022 national elections under the UniTeam slate.

Earlier, the President said UniTeam still exists despite the apparent disagreements among officials behind the alliance.

"UniTeam is not just one or two or three parties. It's the unification of all the political forces to come together for the good of the country," Marcos said, adding that, "It is still there, still vibrant, still working, and we will continue to work on that basis.''

However, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Thursday expressed doubts that  UniTeam was united even before controversies arose regarding the ongoing push for Charter change. He said it was "obvious" that the coalition has no unity.

Visit to Davao

Over the weekend, former President Duterte and his children attended a prayer rally in Davao City where he warned President Marcos of ouster and accused the latter of being a drug addict.

Present at the said prayer rally, which was held the same day as the Bagong Pilipinas kick-off rally led by the President himself, were Senator Marcos and Vice President Duterte.

"That was my entire purpose to go to Davao. Attempt to speak to the Dutertes and, of course, with VP Inday whom I haven't seen for a bit," the senator said.

"It's very, very clear that my effort was simply to try and patch things up because to my mind, the principles continue to work with each other very happily except when interference from so many other pressures, influences, and other politicians come in. That's the problem," she added.

For Senator Marcos, the claims that the Dutertes are now against the Marcos administration is "oversimplifying things a little bit," noting that the Vice President recently thanked her brother for the latter's continuous support.

"The Vice President has already issued a statement saying that she is grateful to the President for his support and continues to abide by the eight-point agenda. She also said that she is not in agreement with all her relatives either," the senator said.

"I haven't lost hope. I continue to pray that we can put things together and that the UniTeam is some form or [another] will continue to survive and help the country in the future," she added.—with a report from Anna Felicia Bajo/ AOL/ VDV, GMA Integrated News