More local execs support Marcos, says PFP

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — More local officials are switching sides and now support presidential frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) bared yesterday.

PFP secretary general Thomson Lantion revealed that several governors, mayors and congressmen have recently expressed support for Marcos after their respective parties endorsed the former senator’s presidential bid.?

“Yes, many local officials are switching to our side as election day nears. What we’re doing now is forming alliance of support since they have their respective political parties that they have to carry,” he explained in an interview.?

Lantion said the local officials followed the direction of their respective parties that forged an alliance of support with PFP – including the PDP-Laban wing of President Duterte, People’s Reform Party of the late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Reform (the Armed Forces Movement) Party of former senator Gringo Honasan – to advance the charter change and federalism agenda.

He cited as examples Bataan Gov. Albert Garcia of the National Unity Party (NUP) and former Malabon Rep. Ricky Sandoval of PDP-Laban, who recently reached out to their party to support Marcos.

“There are many others who want to join forces with us in Partido Federal ng Pilipinas… Actually, since the substitution of candidates last November and up to now, we are being flooded by those who want to join our party,” Lantion further bared.

The alliance of Marcos and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio dubbed as “BBM-Sara UniTeam” originally had four parties – PFP, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino and Hugpong ng Pagbabago. ?

Meanwhile, local officials in Samar have committed their support to the UniTeam.?Northern Samar vice gubernatorial candidate Rolando Carpio Jr. and 2nd District Rep. Jose Ong Jr. called on their constituents to vote for Marcos and Duterte in the May 9 polls.?

During the rally in Catarman, Carpio said Marcos continues to enjoy wide voter support despite concerted efforts to bring him down.

Ong, for his part, urged his constituents not to hold back their support for Marcos amid the name-calling by other camps.?“Don’t hide your support for BBM; don’t be afraid of showing it. You should be proud. It is not a sin to support BBM,” the congressman told the crowd.?

Due to several days of rain brought by the low-pressure area, the huge field in front of the University of Eastern Philippines Grandstand turned into a mud field, yet more than half of it was filled with supporters clad in red and green standing in the rain. ?

In the afternoon, a huge crowd welcomed Marcos and the UniTeam senatorial slate in Borongan, Eastern Samar and Biliran.?Duterte-Carpio did not join the Eastern Visayas leg of the UniTeam’s campaign, and sent Sen. Ronald dela Rosa as her representative.

“She asked me to tell you that if she will become vice president, she will be a very supportive and cooperative vice president to our president Bongbong Marcos,” Dela Rosa told the crowd.

The former Philippine National Police chief said Duterte would help Marcos address the pressing concerns of Filipinos, especially on the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UniTeam is set to proceed with their campaign leg in Leyte today.

Decision on DQ case

Meanwhile, a group of Ilocanos, collectively known as Pudno nga Ilokano, filed yesterday an “extremely urgent second motion to resolve” the disqualification case they filed in December 2021 against Marcos.

In a five-page motion the group, led by Margarita Salonga Salandanan, said this is their second time to file the motion to resolve the disqualification case against Marcos, as the poll body has yet to resolve their motion filed on March 4.

The Pudno nga Ilokano said both parties have already attended the preliminary conference on Jan. 14 that was followed by the submission of their respective memoranda within three days after the conference.

The petitioners added that the Comelec has to immediately come up with the decision considering the impact of the disqualification case on the upcoming May 9 national and local elections and the chances that the case will be elevated to the Supreme Court.

Citing the urgency to resolve the case, they asked the Comelec that the 45-day period of decision making under its Resolution No. 10765 be reckoned from Jan. 17 when they submitted their memoranda instead of the Feb. 23 effectivity of the resolution.

“Given that we barely have a month to go until the 9 May 2022 national elections, petitioners again supplicate with the Honorable Commission to honor its Constitutional mandate to enforce and administer all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of credible elections and to fulfill its duties without any pressure, influence and interference from any private person or public official,” the petitioners said.

“It is unfair to the petitioners, respondent and the voting public and a violation of the ‘due process’ clause that a ruling on a matter that directly impacts on who could legally occupy an office, especially the highest position in the government, is unduly delayed,” they added.

The petitioners emphasized that the “undue delay” in resolving the disqualification case opens to question and speculation the integrity and competence of the Comelec to carry its constitutional mandate as they felt “despondent and downhearted” as the “Comelec does not comply with its own rules.”

The disqualification case filed by the Pudno nga Ilokano against Marcos is the only pending case in the division level of the poll body while the majority of cases against the presidential candidate have been dismissed by the Comelec.

The Pudno nga Ilokano asked the Comelec to disqualify Marcos as he was convicted by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court in 1995 for failure to pay taxes from 1982 to 1985. –  Robertzon Ramirez