Cusi leads party’s national executive panel in signing resolution
Presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has gained the endorsement of the PDP-Laban wing under Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi—the faction supported by President Rodrigo Duterte—the ruling party said in a resolution Monday night.
In Resolution No. 26, Series of 2022 of its National Executive Committee, a copy of which the Standard obtained last night, the PDP-Laban Cusi wing formally endorsed Marcos Jr., who has been leading most presidential surveys with less than 50 days left before the May 9 polls.
The resolution noted that Marcos “is the candidate whose platform is most aligned with the development program of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.”
It also said the former senator “received the most endorsements from several local councils of PDP Laban.”
These include the party’s councils in Ilocos Sur, La Union, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro, Camarines Norte, Masbate, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Zamboanga del Sur, Davao del Sur, North Cotabato, Caloocan City, Malabon City, Mandaluyong City, Pasay City, Paranaque City, San Juan City, Valenzuela City, Malolos City, Ormoc City and San Pedro City, the resolution added.
“(Marcos) is the candidate whose vision of governance is most aligned with PDP Laban’s 11-point agenda,” the Cusi-led party added. The group also noted it had previously endorsed Marcos’ running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, as its official vice presidential candidate.
“Whereas, to promote “Unity for Sustainability” of socio-economic development and national progress… Resolved, as it is hereby resolved, after careful and exhaustive deliberations the National Executive Committee endorses the candidacy of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for President of the Republic of the Philippines in the forthcoming 2022 National Elections,” the resolution ended.
Cusi, PDP-Laban Secretary General Melvin Matibag, erstwhile presidential bet Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, and 11 other officials were indicated as signatories of the resolution.
Senator Manny Pacquiao, one of Marcos’ nine opponents for the presidency, who also claims to head the other faction of the PDP-Laban, is expected to question the resolution.
However, the former boxing champion filed his candidacy under the PROMDI party to avoid complications with the Commission on Elections, which has yet to rule which between the Cusi and Pacquiao factions is the rightful PDP-Laban representative.
Earlier, Presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on Monday lamented that biased “fact-checkers” have been coming out with “findings” that what he said previously was not true, when in fact the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) standard-bearer did not say what was being checked.
In a pre-taped interview for the “Kandidatalks: Negosyo, Trabaho at Kalusugan” by Go Negosyo aired Monday, Marcos was asked how he intends to deal with fake news, and promptly brought up his problem with biased fact-checkers.
“There are what we call fact-checkers, but these fact-checkers have an agenda. That is why all they fact-check (is) one side of the story.
Let’s get rid of those,” he said.
He did not identify which fact-checker or group was involved, but said, “Eh kami biktima kami ‘dyan eh (We are their victim).” “A lot of people have fact-checked me and said that what I was saying wasn’t true. I didn’t say anything like that, but they insisted I was saying fake news. I didn’t say anything like that. They just made it up,” the former senator said.
Marcos further said: “They fabricate things that I say and then brand them as fake. So, let’s make fact-checkers that have no agenda; no political agenda, no financial agenda, whatever. They only exist to fact-check.”
Marcos also disagreed that his camp has benefitted the most from fake news, as alleged by his critics.
The program, hosted by the presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, saw Marcos paired with doctor-lawyer Jose Montemayor Jr. to kick off the five-day series.
Concepcion, founder of Go Negosyo, joined journalist and news anchor Cheryl Cosim in asking the candidates about their plans should they become the country’s next president.
In other developments:
• Marcos Jr. said Monday he will end the end-of-contract scheme of contractualization of workers for non-seasonal employees.
• Marcos Jr. assured that local government units (LGUs) will have a strong voice in his administration after he wins the scheduled May 9 national elections.
• The provincial leadership of Tawi-Tawi has recently declared its full support for the UniTeam of Marcos and Duterte. The leaders who belong to Tawi-Tawi One Party (TOP) led by Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael Sali made the declaration right at the UniTeam national headquarters in Mandaluyong City during their recent visit.