Leaders of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, the Tingog Sinirangan party-list group and the Hugpong ng Pagbabago regional party on Wednesday forged an alliance to support the senatorial candidates of President Rodrigo Duterte and to ensure the continuity of his legislative agenda in the next three years.
Lakas-CMD president Martin Romualdez, Tingog Sinirangan party-list first nominee and Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez, and Hugpong ng Pagbabago regional party head and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio underscored the importance of ensuring that the last three years of Duterte after the May 2019 midterm poll were implemented.
“I ask all of you to help the senatorial candidates of Hugpong ng Pagbabago whom I trust will carry on President Duterte’s agenda of genuine change,” Martin Romualdez told the jampacked Tacloban City Convention Center or the Tacloban Astrodome during the signing of the agreement Wednesday.
“I would like to reiterate our strong support to President Duterte and his agenda for change.”
In her speech, Duterte-Carpio said the senatorial election was crucial because Duterte needed all the support he could get from Congress, especially in the Senate.
“Let us support our senatorial candidates because he [Duterte] needs senators who will push his agenda in the last three years of his term,” Duterte-Carpio said in her speech.
She named 14 senatorial candidates whom she endorsed, including re-electionist Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, Cynthia Villar, Aquilino Pimentel III and Joseph Victor Ejercito, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, former presidential assistant Bong Go, former senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr., former presidential spokesman Harry Roque, Deputy Speaker and Taguig City Rep. Pia Cayetano, former Philippine National Police chief Bato dela Rosa, Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, Willie Ong and former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino.
Those who attended the event were Estrada, Marcos, Go, Mangudadatu, Roque and Ong, while others sent their representatives including Revilla, who was represented by his wife, Bacoor City Mayor Lani Revilla.
Duterte-Carpio said former President-turned-Manila City Mayor Joseph Estrada appealed to her to support his two sons Jinggoy and JV.
READ: Hugpong, Tingog party list join forces
Duterte-Carpio also said in jest that the two sons of Mayor Estrada were not comfortable to share one stage after noticing the presence of Jinggoy and the absence of JV in Wednesday’s event.
In his speech at the Astrodome, Estrada thanked Duterte and the Romualdez couple for supporting his senatorial bid.
At the same time, Estrada vowed to investigate the alleged failure of the previous administration to download all the multi-billion-peso “Yolanda” funds for Tacloban City and the victims of the super typhoon.
Marcos told the Taclobanons that she would give priority to helping the agriculture sector by keeping the prices of rice low.
In a brief interview with the Manila-based reporters, Marcos said she was able to keep their premium rice at P27 per kilo despite the reported scarcity of the staple in the market.
