VICE President Leni Robredo yesterday she is open to supporting a Moreno-Pacquiao tandem in the 2022 national elections if it would be enough to end to President Duterte’s brand of governance.
Robredo, who is yet to decide if she will seek the presidency next year, said she would back Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Sen. Manny Pacquiao for the country’s top two posts if the tandem will be endorsed by the broadest coalition against the administration.
“Yes, if that will be the result of discussions… of the broadest coalition. Sabi ko naman, bukas ako sa kahit ano na (As I’ve said before, I’m open to anything) would put a stop to this kind of governance already,” she told ANC’s Headstart program.
Pacquiao belongs to the fractured ruling party PDP-Laban. Moreno recently joined the Aksyon Demokratiko party of which he is now party president.
Pacquiao thanked Robredo but said he has yet to make a decision on whether to seek the presidency next year, run again for the Senate, or retire from politics. Pacquiao said if he decides to run for president, he would ask for Robredo’s support so he could achieve his goal of having a peaceful and developed country, and to jail crooks in government who, he said, are the main cause of poverty.
Moreno said “there is still ample time” to decide on the matter but for now, he said, he would focus on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. He asked other officials to do the same instead of talking about their political plans.
The filing of certificates of candidacy for the May 9, 2022 elections is on October 1 to 8.
Moreno and Pacquiao, together with Senators Richard Gordon and Panfilo Lacson, are among the latest recipients of attacks from President Duterte who has declared he is running for vice president next year.
Robredo, who has long been the subject of Duterte’s tirades, said the President has lost focus on the government’s COVID-19 pandemic response because he is too busy defending himself and his allies from the senators who are investigating the government’s alleged overpriced purchases from a dubious Chinese firm.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque dismissed suggestions made by Robredo and Moreno on handling the pandemic, saying these are mere “politicking.”
UNITY
Robredo said it is “crucial” for all groups that are against the administration to be unified because it is the only way to attain change and for the country to move forward.
The Vice President has been firm on her stand that the opposition should field a single ticket for president and vice president, that will post the toughest challenge to the administration’s candidates in light of reports that presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is open to running for president even if her father is also planning to seek the vice presidency.
“The question is, who among us has the ability to form the broadest coalition,” Robredo said.
Robredo has vowed to announce her decision either this month or early next month. She has rejected Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s proposed “unification formula” for the 2022 presidential elections, saying she does not want to lead supporters on and disappoint them by withdrawing from the race.
Lacson, who has declared he is seeking the presidency next year, wants all presidential contenders who are engaged in unification talks to file their certificates of candidacy while agreeing to withdraw at a certain time before the elections to “support” the strongest candidate based on survey standings.
Aside from Lacson, Moreno and Pacquiao, Robredo has also met with Sen. Richard Gordon for a possible coalition.
“I have spoken to almost all of the contenders, and we already agreed to talk again and we agreed that we will set aside differences and be on the side of saan ba mas mapapabuti ang lahat (what would beneficial to everyone),” Robredo said. “Ipu-pursue ko ulit (I’ll pursue it again) to hopefully bring everyone to the table and discuss. One month na lang (We only have a month), Karen, so we have to make a decision already.
MARCOS CANDIDACY
Robredo said she does not regard herself as as a “savior” of the Filipino people and has always kept herself “close to the ground.”
She said she offered herself in previous election to stop former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. from becoming vice president and the situation can be repeated next year since Marcos is eyeing a presidential run.
“Kung ako ‘yun makakahinto kay Bongbong Marcos, ako ‘yun. Kung hindi ako (If I am going to be the one who can stop Bongbong Marcos, then I will do it. Otherwise), I am willing to support somebody else,” she said. “Iyong danger na babalik iyong another Marcos, nandiyan (The danger of another Marcos returning to power is there.”
Robredo ruled out the possibility of running for senator, saying it is not her “strength.”
‘DUTERTE’S FOCUS LOST’
Robredo said it was “frustrating” to watch the President’s last two televised public addresses because he used most of the time personally attacking Gordon and Lacson so she stopped watching the addresses and just reads the transcripts.
“We’re in the middle of a surge and we need all hands on deck, the urgency is really most important now. But the greater part of the press conference was spent on criticizing senators and the Commission on Audit,” she said in Filipino.
The Vice President said Duterte’s statements show what his real priorities are. “He lacks attention to details. It’s not the lack of effort of agencies which are working because you can see it,” she said.
‘PORK VARIANT’
At the House, Rep. Arlene Brosas (PL, Gabriela) questioned the P10 billion “growth equity fund” in the P5.024 trillion proposed national budget for 2022 which is being deliberated upon at the House, calling it a “new pork barrel variant” which she said could be used for electioneering.
Brosas said that under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), P10 billion is allocated for the “growth equity fund” to supposedly assist lagging LGUs in the implementation of Mandanas ruling next year but it is not specified which agency will identify the target LGUs for the assistance, making it a “lump sum” appropriation.
“This P10-billion Growth Equity Funds looks more like Greater Election Fund, as it can arbitrarily used to ensure votes for Duterte and his top bets in the 2022 elections,” she said.
The militant lawmaker said the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Mandanas vs. Garcia case has warranted a higher LGU share to national revenues, at P959 billion in national tax allotments next year.
The SC ruling has clarified that custom duties and several other taxes should be included in the just share of LGUs in the collection of national taxes.
“Even if fifth and sixth class municipalities will not benefit from the Mandanas ruling, national government agencies already have programs in support for lagging LGUs,” Brosas said.
Roque dismissed Brosas’ statements as “guni-guni (imagination)” and said that under the 2022 budget, the LGUs will get a bigger internal revenue allotment (IRA) as it includes the allocation for services offered by the social welfare, agriculture, and health departments as well as the LGUs’ shares in customs duties and value-added taxes. He said the IRA under the proposed 2022 budget is 37 percent higher than what the LGUs previously received. — With Raymond Africa, Ashzel Hachero, and Jocelyn Montemayor
