President Marcos wants admin sweep in Senate, local races

MANILA, Philippines — Calling them the “best people” and the “most effective public servants,” President Marcos is confident of the full victory of candidates under the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas led by his Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) in the upcoming May elections.

At the PFP’s “Tugon at Aksyon sa Pag-unlad” gathering at the Manila Hotel yesterday, Marcos vouched for the competence and integrity of the PFP bets, including those from allied parties.

“What we want to be the result – of course we always think, it should be first, in the Senate 12-0, that’s what we’re after,” the President said, drawing applause from national and provincial party members.

“And at the local (level), it should be 100 percent because our members at the local level are the best,” he said.

“And we have gathered, I believe, the best people and the most effective public servants in the Philippines under our umbrella now at PFP and under the entire alliance,” the Chief Executive added.

Formed in 2018, PFP is chaired by Marcos.

Among those present at the event were senatorial bets under the administration coalition Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas – Sen. Francis Tolentino, Marcos’ former interior secretary Benhur Abalos and former senator Manny Pacquiao.

In September last year, Marcos witnessed the signing of the manifesto of the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas by the party leaders of PFP, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), National Unity Party (NUP) and Nacionalista Party (NP).

The other senatorial candidates included in the coalition’s ticket for the Senate are Makati Mayor Abigail Binay, Sen. Pia Cayetano, former senator Panfilo Lacson, Sen. Lito Lapid, Sen. Imee Marcos, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., former Senate president Vicente Sotto, ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar.

Abalos, Tolentino and Pacquiao are from Marcos’ PFP, while Revilla and Tulfo are from Lakas-CMD led by Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Four of the candidates – Sotto, Binay, Lacson and Lapid – belong to the NPC while three are from the NP, namely Villar, Cayetano and Imee Marcos. 

President Marcos on Rodriguez: Why did he work for me?

Meanwhile, President Marcos brushed off the call of his former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez to undergo a hair follicle drug test, saying it has nothing to do with the constitutional tenet that a public office is a public trust.

“No, no. Why should I do that? What is a public trust, public office – (it) has nothing to do with a follicle test. Please. What he’s saying has no connection to the constitutional principle,” Marcos told reporters yesterday after addressing new graduates of the Development Academy of the Philippines in Pasay City.

“He’s always had that weakness every time he… when he was still working for me. If you believe in what he was saying, why did he work for me?” the President said.

Rodriguez resigned as executive secretary in September 2022 after being embroiled in a sugar importation controversy that critics and lawmakers said was corruption-tainted. 

Months later, he started becoming critical of Marcos and began siding with the camp of former president Rodrigo Duterte. In April last year, he called on the President to undergo a hair follicle drug test, and reiterated it yesterday.

As presidential campaign spokesman of Marcos in 2021, Rodriguez touted the then candidate’s negative drug test.