PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday asked political leaders to put aside personal differences as he continued to push his call for unity.
The President led the signing of an alliance between his party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), and the Nacionalista Party led by businessman and former Senate president Manny Villar, in preparation for the midterm elections next year.
Marcos said disagreements among political parties are a waste of energy and effort.
It is the fourth alliance entered into by the PFP. The others are with the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and the National Unity Party.
“We are here today to formalize this relationship and to prepare ourselves to make sure that the leadership that will come, that will win after the election — the midterm elections next year — are the leaders who understand that we must put our partisan, our personal differences aside, whatever they may be,” Marcos said.
He said the energy, time and effort of the political leaders should be used instead for the betterment of the Filipinos and the country.
The President said the unity he had been advocating for since the 2022 elections continues even to this day.
Marcos’ statement was made amid the break-up of his partnership with Vice President Sara Duterte, his running mate during the 2022 polls.
Duterte, who resigned as Education secretary in June, has been issuing remarks critical of the administration.
“It is very clear in my view and I think it has now been manifested, it has now been demonstrated by these alliances that it is also an understanding, it is also a consensus between our leaderships, the leaders of our country that unity is the key for us to move forward,” Marcos said.
“If we are spending our time, our resources and our energy opposing one another, for political means, then we have very little time, resources, and energy left for transforming our country into a better place, to transforming the lives of our people,” he added.
Villar welcomed the alliance, saying there is a “need to prove to the Filipino people that we are a nation capable of rising above our differences in order to build a bright future for the country.”
The PFP-NP alliance was signed by Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo, PFP president and South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., Sen. and NP national director Mark Villar, Surigao del Norte Rep. and spokesman Robert Ace Barbers, and Rep. Eleandro Madrona.
Among those who attended the event were Sen. Cynthia Villar, Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, and Borgy Manotoc who represented his mother Sen. Imee Marcos.
Tamayo said the PFP has yet to come up with a final line-up for the senatorial elections.
He said they would still consult with party and alliance members but will definitely come up with a final line-up before the filing of certificate of candidacies in October.
Barbers said the NP has three candidates for senator Imee Marcos and Pia Cayetano and Las Inas Rep. Camille Villar.
