A group of young congressmen on Tuesday encouraged Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio to convince her father to support the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. This is to assert the UniTeam coalition, which the latter said is still “alive and intact.”
The lawmakers also stressed that the alliance “remains solid” in the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, first cousin of the president.
“The principle of the UniTeam goes beyond the relationship of the President and the Vice President. Tulad namin sa (Like us in the) House, buo kami (we are united), on the call of the President under the leadership of Speaker Romualdez,” Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said.
Khonghun and his fellow administration lawmakers, however, extended an appeal to the vice president to convince other members of the Duterte clan to back the plans of the incumbent president as well.
“Isa lang ang hinihingi namin… kausapin din sana ni (We only ask that) VP Sara ang kanyang pamilya para suportahan ang ating Pangulo (talk to her family to support the President),” he said.
“Dahil wala namang ibang gusto ang ating Pangulo kundi ang kaunlaran at katahimikan ng ating bansa (Because the President wants nothing but progress and peace for our country). So, if you’re asking me if the UniTeam is united… Yes, we are united under the leadership of the President.”
Another member of the group, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, said the UniTeam political slogan of President Marcos and VP Duterte has been “converted into a concrete and actual plan, dahil nagkaroon nga tayo ng (because of the) launching of Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines).”
“VP Sara was there, and makikita po natin ‘yung (we can see the) relationship. VP Sara is still in the Cabinet, nasa (in the) administration of President Marcos and she’s very, very supportive of the plans of the current administration,” he said.
Adiong said that the House, composed of more than 300 congressmen from different political parties and party-list groups, “is the perfect venue to exemplify UniTeam, kasi makikita niyo po talagang solid kami dito (because you will see that we are solid here).”
For his part, La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega said governance under UniTeam led by President Marcos is working on the ground, citing as examples the way things have been going right now in their respective districts.
“Nasa distrito kami, nasa ground, gumagana po e. Napakaayos po ng patakbo ng gobyerno, gumagana. So, ibig sabihin nabubuo lahat ‘yun sa (We are the ones in the districts, on the ground, it’s functioning. Government is running well. So, that means it was accomplished because of the) UniTeam,” he said.
“‘Yung mga pinangako ‘nung eleksyon, nararamdaman namin sa distrito (The promises made during the campaign period, we feel that in our districts), and I’m sure our constituents feel it, because of what we are doing in legislation and what we are doing on the ground,” Ortega added.
Over the past few weeks, the Marcos-Duterte alliance was tested because of the public criticisms made by former President Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte against President Marcos.