MANILA – Malacañang said on Wednesday that the public is eager to know which presidential candidate President Rodrigo Duterte will endorse because any support coming from him will be a “game-changer”.
After the Duterte-led Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) faction expressed support for presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. through a resolution signed on March 21, acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar admitted that he, too, was awaiting who the President would endorse.
“I’m happy for the President that —maraming nagtatanong, maraming nag-aabang, kasi nga it’s a game-changer kapag si Presidente ang nag-endorse (there are many asking, many waiting because it’s a game-changer when the President endorses),” Andanar said in a Palace press briefing.
On Thursday, Duterte is set to attend the PDP-Laban campaign rally in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
Andanar stated that he had no idea who among the contenders had requested Duterte’s endorsement because he was not present during Duterte’s latest Talk to the People and mini Cabinet meeting on Tuesday night, where it may have been discussed.
When asked if Duterte’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday was his last, Andanar said the President had a lot of “unfinished business” to attend to.
“Palagay ko, hindi pa, tuluy-tuloy si Presidenteng magtatrabaho. Marami pa siyang unfinished business tulad nitong sa NTF-ELCAC, tulad ng ating pagbangon mula sa negative effects ng Covid-19 at iyong pagsiguro na mayroon tayong (I don’t think it’s his last, the President continues to work. He has a lot of unfinished business like the NTF-ELCAC, rising from the negative effects of Covid-19 and making sure we have a) clean, fair and honest elections this coming May 2022,” he added.
The PDP-Laban stated in its March 21 resolution that the decision to support Marcos was made following “careful and exhaustive” deliberations of its national executive committee.
According to Duterte’s ruling party, Marcos is “the candidate whose vision of governance is most aligned with PDP-Laban’s 11-point agenda.”
Andanar previously stated that Duterte and Marcos Jr. had a “cordial and productive” meeting a day before the administration party, the PDP-Laban, formally endorsed Marcos’ candidacy.
Apart from the several meetings and consultations among its members, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go claimed the meeting between Duterte and Marcos was one of the factors that contributed to the PDP-Laban wing endorsement.
He added that Duterte also discussed with Marcos his experiences as the country’s president, as well as his desire for his policies and initiatives to be continued by his successor.
Marcos’ political party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), endorsed the candidacy of presidential daughter Sara Duterte as his running mate in this year’s polls.
Sara is running for vice president under Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).
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