THE tandem of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will "guide and steer" the Philippines “to the right direction,” House Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez said during the Uniteam Alliance signing of four different political parties on Thursday, November 25.
“To achieve our mission and to fulfill our goals, we vowed to help elect new leaders who will guide and steer us to the right direction,” Romualdez, who is also the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president, said during the alliance signing at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).
The Uniteam alliance is composed of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).
The alliance adopted Marcos Jr. as Uniteam's Presidential candidate and Duterte-Carpio as Vice Presidential candidate for 2022.
Marcos, the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., is running under PFP, while the mayor, the daughter of incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte, is both the chairperson of Lakas-CMD and HNP.
A day before, Lakas-CMD passed a resolution adopting the former senator as their presidential candidate.
Romualdez, who is Marcos’s cousin, said they chose to endorse the two aspirants for they have "displayed steely nerves in leadership."
“We need leaders who have solid background in public service. We need leaders with a clear vision on how to keep Filipino families safe and the Philippine economy growing and expanding,” he said.
The House Representative also said the country needs leaders with a clear vision on how to keep Filipino families safe and the Philippine economy growing and expanding.
“We choose peace over lawlessness, we choose tranquility in the community over chaos on the street, we choose economic activity over the idle talk or endless debates,” Romualdez added.
The top officials of the parties were present at the signing – PFP president and South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo, HNP president and Davao Occidental Governor Claude Bautista, Romualdez, and former senator and PMP president Jinggoy Estrada.
Lakas-CMD has produced two presidents – Fidel Ramos and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, its president emeritus. PMP is the party of ousted president Joseph Estrada, father of current party president.
In a recorded video message, Duterte-Carpio said the alliance "does not only show our firm aspirations for our country, it also echoes loudly of our triumph to peacefully unite and stand side-by-side in the pursuit of continued development and positive change for our fellow Filipinos and the Philippines."
"The Uniteam has done something remarkable in a time when political noise and bickering drowned the issues and problems confronting the Filipino people --- that is to forge a partnership as one organization setting aside political rivalries and differences to become strong partners of the people and the nation," she said.
She added that "there's no turning back" on the alliance.