FORMER senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. yesterday declared he is throwing his hat in next year’s presidential race, six years after he went on political hiatus following his loss in the 2016 vice presidential contest to incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo.
The only son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos made his announcement in a video which was uploaded in his account at the social media platform Facebook on the same day that he took his oath as a member of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), a political party allied with the Duterte administration.
Marcos premised his speech on the COVID-19 pandemic saying that what the country needs right now is a “unifying leadership to lead us through this crisis.”
“I am today announcing my intention to run for the presidency of the Philippines in the upcoming May 2022 elections. I will bring that form of unifying leadership back to our country,” Marcos said in a short, pre-recorded video streamed on his Facebook page at past 3 p.m.
The former senator called on Filipinos to “face the challenge as one, as one country, (and) as one people.”
“Sama-sama tayong babangon muli (We will emerge from this crisis together),” Marcos said, as he stressed the need to “get our people safely back to work, for all of us to begin to live our loves once again.”
Marcos did not disclose other details of his candidacy, including the identity of his running mate.
The announcement is the latest move of the Marcoses to complete their return to power 35 years after the EDSA People Power 1 ousted their patriarch from Malacañang, leading to several years of exile in Hawaii and numerous criminal cases filed here and abroad.
The family returned to the country in 1991. A year later, former first lady Imelda Marcos ran for president during the 1992 presidential campaign and finished fifth in a field of seven candidates.
The young Marcos ran against Robredo during the 2017 vice presidential race, and lost by 263,473 votes. His election protest against Robredo was dismissed by the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, earlier this year.
In last month’s Pulse Asia voter’s preference survey, the 64-year-old politician ranked second to Davao City Sara Duterte-Carpio among the public’s choices for the next president.
As of Tuesday, Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno have filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) for president. Sen. Panfilo Lacson is expected to file his COC today, along with his vice-presidential tandem Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
The office of Robredo yesterday issued a media advisory saying Robredo was set to make an “important announcement” on Thursday in relation to her decision on calls for her to run for president in next year’s elections.
POLITICAL ALLIANCE
Former vice president Jejomar Binay and his daughter Sen. Nancy Binay met with Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
Photos shared to the media by Partido Reporma on Monday night showed the Binays meeting Sotto, Lacson, and former LPGMA partylist Rep. Arnel Ty and former Government Service Insurance System president Clint Aranas in an undisclosed place.
The former vice president is seeking a Senate seat under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), which he founded in 2012. The elder Binay’s daughter, Nancy, is UNA chairman.
Former Rep. JV Bautista, who is acting UNA secretary general, welcomed all support extended to the former vice president by other political parties “and for him to be invited to be part of their senatorial slate.”
“At the moment, nothing has been finalized yet and UNA is still in talks with other organizations/political groups and is in the process of adopting senatorial candidates from these parties who share UNA’s vision and platform of government,” Bautista said.
He said the former Makati City mayor will file his COC on Oct. 7.
Lacson, who is the chairman of the Partido Reporma, is running for president, with Sotto, who chairs the Nationalist People’s Coalition, as his running mate.
Lacson and Sotto are also eyeing an alliance with the National Unity Party chaired by former interior secretary Ronaldo Puno.
Meanwhile, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar led the inspection of the mega hospital project in Mandaluyong City on his last day as head of the agency.
“This is Secretary Mark Villar signing off, and very thankful for all the support and it’s my honor to serve. Maraming salamat po,” Villar, who was DPWH secretary for five years, said in a video message on Facebook Tuesday.
“This will be my last project inspection and I want to make sure that this facility will bring relief to hospitals in Metro Manila including Southern and Northern Tagalog very soon, with more than a hundred capacity,” said Villar.
Villar is included in the senatorial slate of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he initially thought of running for senator in next year’s election but decided against it about two months ago.
“Earlier this year, a number of friends, heads of political parties, local governments, businesses, and campaign volunteers have urged me to go for it, citing my good government service track record,” said Lorenzana in his social media accounts.
The 72-year-old Lorenzana, a retired Army major general, assumed the defense portfolio at the start of the Duterte administration in 2016.
“But two months ago, I sat down, did an honest to goodness assessment and used a decision grid – a useful decision-making tool. After much thought and a serious talk with my family (who is against it), I have decided not to run,” said Lorenzana.
In the decision grid, Lorenzana scored 670 points for “no” or not to run, 418 points for “maybe” he should run, and 324 points for “yes” or he should run.
“I would like to apologize to those who reached out for support and those who feel let down by my decision. I thank them for their support and vote of confidence. I shall continue with my present job and strive to finish it in a high note,” said Lorenzana.
RIGHT DECISION
President Duterte on Monday night said he made the “right decision” to retire from politics amid a drop in his satisfaction ratings based on recent surveys.
“It’s still good, but I think it’s time. There’s always a time for everything. Even if you get a 64 rating, may panahon-panahon ang buhay. So, sa palagay ko, tama ‘yung ginawa ko (Even if you get a 64 rating, there’s a time for everything. I think I made the right decision),” the President said in his Talk to the People address.
Duterte made the reaction after presidential spokesman Harry Roque reported about a Social Weather Stations survey that showed a 17 percentage points drop in the President’s satisfaction rating to a +62 in June this year from a high of +79 percent in November last year.
The President said he also decided to retire from politics and give in to “the will of the people” after another SWS survey revealed that 60 percent of Filipinos believed that his vice-presidential run would violate the intention of the Constitution.
On Saturday, Duterte announced he was retiring after his term as president ends next year. He likewise backed out from his plan to run for vice president in the 2022 elections.
The President said it is time to choose new leaders, adding that it would be better to elect “ordinary-minded Filipinos” instead of bright ones.
POLITICAL TOOL?
Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday questioned a “global coalition” formed by the PNP last June which he said may potentially be used for partisan politics.
Lacson asked the PNP leadership to explain the purpose of the “Global Coalition of Lingkod Bayan Advocacy Support Groups and Force Multipliers,” which was launched on June 25 this year with President Duterte inducting its leaders in ceremonies held at the Camp Crame.
According to the PNP, support groups and force multipliers formalized the creation of a global coalition of international and local organizations capable of providing proactive leadership, direction and guidance to all government and multi-sectoral efforts aimed at helping build a strong collaborative partnership with the community in support to the ongoing campaign against communist insurgency, illegal drugs, extreme terrorism, and disaster mitigation.
The coalition was formed by and is composed of 11 international and local organizations.
Lacson, who headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001, questioned in particular why the PNP would look for force multipliers abroad such as in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong – when the PNP’s mandate is only to address internal threats.
“What gives?” he asked. “The last time I heard, the PNP is a territorial force. It is supposed to address internal threats. Why a global coalition? Why do we need global force multipliers when we are dealing with internal threats? It looks like the targets here are the overseas Filipino workers,” he asked the PNP during his interpellation of the Department of Interior and Local Government’s proposed budget for 2022.
“I’ll be blunt… This looks like a tool for politicking by the PNP’s community relations arm,” he added.
Eleazar said member organizations will help the PNP by “acting as their force multipliers” in a bid to “gain the support of the people… in the maintenance of peace and order.”
Eleazar also assured senators that the coalition will not be used for political purposes.
“We used the term [global] so that we can have engagement with the OFWs and their families so that we can assist them… I would like to assure that this effort of the PNP will not be used for political purposes,” Eleazar said.
He added that the term “global and international coalition” refers to the deployment of police attaches in foreign countries which he said also need support from the PNP.
Lacson said he was not convinced with the “assurance” of PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar that this activity of the PNP to engage with the public will not be used for political purposes.
“The nomenclature itself suggests otherwise,” he said.
“You are looking for members in areas with many OFWs. How can they help enhance the anti-criminality campaign of the PNP that is supposed to address internal threats? I cannot reconcile this,” he said. — With Raymond Africa, Victor Reyes and Jocelyn Montemayor
