A FACTION of the ruling PDP-Laban party will decide on who to endorse as presidential candidate, before the campaign period for local candidates starts on March 25.
Acting Cabinet secretary Melvin Matibag, secretary general of the faction led by President Duterte and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, yesterday said while some key officials and members of the party may have endorsed some candidates, 60 to 70 percent of their local candidates nationwide are still waiting as to who the party or President Duterte will endorse for president.
The faction originally had Senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald dela Rosa as presidential candidates but they later withdrew.
The other PDP faction is led by Senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Emmanuel Pacquiao who is also running for president.
The Cusi faction announced its endorsement for the vice presidential bid of the presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio last month, who is running with former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Matibag said that apart from Duterte-Carpio and PDP-Laban senatorial candidates, the party has not endorsed any national candidate yet.
“All endorsements made by key leaders, those are personal, and do not speak of the party’s intention,” he said in mixed English and Filipino, a day after Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone, PDP-Laban vice president for the Visayas, expressed support for the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo.
He admitted that it would be difficult for their local candidates, as well as their senatorial bets, to campaign if they are not endorsing a presidential candidate.
Matibag said as far as President Duterte is concerned, he prefers to be neutral at the moment and his recent pronouncements about what the next chief executive should have does not refer to any particular presidential candidate at present.
He reiterated the party is looking for someone who will pursue its 11-point agenda which includes successful programs of the Duterte administration including the Build, Build, Build infrastructure program, fight against corruption, and fight against illegal drugs and criminality, among others.
Duterte on Saturday said the next president should be a decisive leader, a good judge of character, and a compassionate leader who understands the concerns of every Filipino. He also wished that the next president will be a lawyer.
Evardone on Monday said his endorsement of Robredo was based on the qualities listed by Duterte.
