President Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban faction and the UniTeam of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will soon unite in campaign rallies for the May 9 elections, the party wing led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has announced.
The Facebook post on Monday teased that the 77-year-old President, whose six-year term ends on June 30 when the new chief executive will take the presidential oath, could make an appearance during their sorties.
“The PDP Laban and UniTeam will join forces. Soon,” the post said.
The Cusi faction did not announce when and where this would happen, but members of the media are already seeking additional details.
Malacañang has remained silent on Duterte’s choice to succeed him, or whether he would join the rallies of Marcos, whom he had criticized in the past.
The Palace has said Duterte has decided not to endorse any presidential candidate to avoid speculation that he will use public funds to campaign for his preferred successor.
Duterte, who has yet to name his preferred successor, in late March formally endorsed 17 senatorial candidates, most of whom were from the PDP-Laban Cusi wing and the UniTeam.
The UniTeam’s Senate slate is also composed of several administration allies and former officials of the Duterte administration.
The PDP-Laban Cusi wing has endorsed the 64-year-old Marcos Jr. for the presidency, while it adopted Duterte’s daughter as its vice-presidential candidate.
Last week, PDP-Laban Secretary-General Melvin Matibag said there is also a “chance” that President Duterte would attend the upcoming joint rallies.
“We already had a meeting… I was with Secretary Cusi as president of the party when we discussed that there will be PDP-Laban rallies inviting BBM and Mayor Inday Sara,” Matibag said in an interview after attending the UniTeam grand rally at the Biñan Football Stadium in Biñan, Laguna.
The joint UniTeam-PDP-Laban rallies, he said, would possibly be held in Bulacan, Parañaque, and Nueva Ecija.
“We’re planning a big rally in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and in Parañaque that will be sponsored by PDP-Laban, with UniTeam invited,” he said.
On the UniTeam-PDP-Laban partnership, Matibag said the two are on good terms.
“Yes, the talks went well. The UniTeam and PDP-Laban have plans,” Matibag said.
