Bongbong grateful for Erap’s support

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed gratitude to former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada for choosing him as his vice presidential candidate if Estrada eventually joins the 2016 presidential derby.

Estrada had said that he would run for president again if Sen. Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay are disqualified as presidential candidates and that he would pick Marcos as his running mate.

“I am deeply honored and very grateful for the trust given to me by former President Estrada. Estrada’s wide support is undisputed and choosing me as his running mate will definitely boost my chances,” Marcos said in a statement.

Marcos, who has teamed up with Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago for the 2016 elections, said that Estrada would be a strong contender and that his chances of winning are high.

Both Estrada and his fellow United Nationalist Alliance founder, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, showed their support to Marcos during his official proclamation as a vice presidential candidate last October.

“I am very thankful to Mayor Erap for his forever sincere and staunch support and also to the people of Manila. He is well loved by the people, especially the masses,” Marcos said.

Marcos also called on the government to step up its spending on agriculture in order to boost productivity and ensure the country’s food security.

Citing a report of the National Statistics Coordination Board, agriculture declined by 0.1 percent in the third quarter of the year, mainly caused by poor palay, corn and sugarcane production, which declined 15.7 percent, 1.7 percent and 41.5 percent respectively.

“If we don’t act fast to reverse this alarming trend we might find ourselves in a situation where food is scarce and prices are skyrocketing,” Marcos said.

“What is frustrating is that while Congress has provided an adequate budget to spur the growth of our agricultural sector, government has failed to use the already available funds to help our farmers,” he added.