THE Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), political party of President Marcos Jr., is in talks with at least three other national political parties for a possible alliance or coalition in preparation for next year’s mid-term elections, a party official said yesterday.
South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo, PFP president, said, ‘ We are looking at three national parties. One is for an alliance, one is for a coalition, and one to merge with the Partido Federal. When you say ‘merge,’ it means the parties will become one,’’ he said in Filipino in an interview on the sidelines of the oathtaking of new party members at the Diamond Hotel Manila.
Asked if one of the parties is the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) of Vice President Sara Duterte, Tamayo said, ‘Sa ngayon, hindi (for now, it is not).’’
He said the previous alliance of the PFP and the HNP, a regional political party, was for the 2022 national elections. He added that any party is welcome to join PFP, including HNP.
The President, in a speech after administering the oath of the 33 new members, said his party is looking at forging alliances with other parties, not to dominate the political scene in the 2025 polls but because he wants to engage all political factions to join PFP’s advocacy for socio-economic development, improving the Filipinos’ lives, and defending the country’s rights in the international scene.
Marcos said his victory in 2022 was due to the people’ support for his advocacy of unity and he believes Filipinos remain supportive of that.
He said much has been accomplished in the first two years of his term because of the majority’s support for his call for unity and cooperation.
The President said he wants PFP to form a steering committee that would formally talk with the other parties for a possible coalition and continued push for unity.
Marcos also said he wants everything prepared by the time PFP candidates file their certificates of candidacy in October.
He said it is never too early to prepare for the elections, especially with the mid-term polls already in 2025.
Tamayo said they will make an announcement about the party’s senatorial lineup during the party’s general convention either in September or October.
The PFP was established in 2018, with Marcos as the party’s standard bearer in the 2022 presidential elections.
