Duterte endorses Senate bid of 11 candidates

SAN JOSE DEL MONTE, Bulacan — President Rodrigo Duterte Thursday proclaimed the five senatorial bets and six guest candidates of the ruling PDP-Laban party as he assailed opposition senators whom he accused of doing nothing but complain about his policies.

Speaking during the kick-off rally of PDP-Laban here, Duterte made a pitch for the senatorial bid of PDP-Laban bets Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, former corrections and police chief Ronald dela Rosa, former presidential aide Christopher Go, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and former political affairs adviser Francis Tolentino.

He also endorsed the candidacy of the party's guest candidates Sens. Cynthia Villar, Sonny Angara and JV Ejercito, Taguig City Rep. Pia Cayetano, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, and folk singer Freddie Aguilar. 

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Duterte heaped praises on the candidates during his two-hour speech, which also reiterated his resolve to fight illegal drugs and corruption. 

While his speech was supposed to sell the PDP-Laban candidates, the president spent much time rehashing his lines on crime and corruption, his threats against drug syndicates and corrupt officials and his diatribes against the Catholic Church and other critics. 

The president, nevertheless, found time to praise his candidates, whom he said are hard working and honest.

Duterte said Mangudadatu belongs to a Moro family that helps the government. The president also described Dela Rosa as "fundamentally honest" and defended Go from allegations he intervened in a frigate deal. 

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The president also called Pimentel a "bar topnotcher" and described Tolentino as a good man who is not involved in irregularities. Duterte called Villar a "dedicated public servant" and described Angara as a "tax expert."  

Ejercito was described as "knowledgeable" while Cayetano, according to Duterte, is "progressive." He said Marcos, whose family supported his presidential bid in 2016, is an experienced government official. 

Duterte forgot to mention Aguilar in his speech but in an ambush interview, the president praised the folk singer for being patriotic. 

While he was all praises for his candidates, Duterte had harsh words for the opposition in the Senate.

"You do not think of anything but politics and human rights," the president said. 

"They have been there for a long time but they did not give us anything. They just talked and attacked," he added. 

The PDP-Laban campaign kickoff contained the elements of a typical Filipino political sortie. It had rousing speeches, song numbers and posters highlighting the slogans of candidates.