MANILA, Philippines — The PDP-Laban faction composed of the allies of President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday proclaimed its national candidates without a presidential bet and launched an eleven-point agenda that seeks to sustain the policies of the administration.
The ruling party faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi endorsed the candidacy of Duterte's daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, whom it adopted as its official candidate for vice president. Carpio is seeking the second highest electoral post under the UniTeam Alliance led by presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
The Cusi-led faction also proclaimed its seven senatorial candidates namely actor Robin Padilla, broadcaster Rey Langit, House Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta, former cabinet secretaries Greco Belgica, Salvador Panelo, and John Castriciones and former energy undersecretary Astra Pimentel.
The candidates of what the PDP-Laban called the "Tuloy ang Pagbabago" coalition were officially endorsed during a proclamation rally held in San Mateo, Rizal. The party is expected to announce guest candidates from other political parties in the next few days.
Cusi said the proclamation rally kicked off the party's campaign events "to show that the PDP-Laban is the dominant party in the country."
“Tuloy and Pagbabago! This is President Duterte’s marching orders to all the PDP-Laban senators, to continue genuine empowerment of all Filipinos, especially to the poorest of the poor, neglected, minority, indigenous people and of course, to our next generation,” he said in a statement.
PDP-Laban is facing a leadership row, with both the factions led by Cusi and Sen. Koko Pimentel claiming to be the legitimate members of the party. The Pimentel-led faction is endorsing the presidential bid of Sen. Manny Pacquiao.
The Cusi wing initially fielded Sen. Ronald dela Rosa as its presidential bet and Sen. Christopher Go as its candidate for vice president. Last November, Dela Rosa backed out of the presidential race while Go decided to seek the highest electoral post under PDP-Laban's allied political party Pederalismo ng Dakilang Dugong Samahan (PDDS). Go ran under PDDS because the leadership dispute in the ruling party has yet to be resolved. Go, a former aide of Duterte, dropped out of the presidential race last December, leaving the Cusi-led faction without a standard bearer.
In an earlier statement, the PDP-Laban Cusi wing said the only way that any presidential candidate could get the party’s endorsement is to follow its "11-point agenda for continuity," which includes continuing the war on drugs, criminality and communist insurgency.
The party's agenda is composed of the fight against corruption; eradication of poverty; advancement of peace and order; ending the pandemic; defeating "communist terrorism" in the country; sustaining economic growth; generation of jobs; strengthening national defense and foreign relations; educational reforms; decentralization and local government empowerment; and charter change and federalism.
Duterte has said he would not endorse a candidate for president unless there is a "compelling reason" for him to do so. The President, however, is expected to start campaigning for his national and local candidates on March 25.