NP, PDP jump Liberal ship for Rody

THE ruling Liberal Party of President Benigno Aquino III has lost two allies in the Nacionalista Party (NP) and Partido Demokratikong Pilipino or PDP-Laban after the two parties agreed to bolt the coalition and form an alliance to back Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential bid in the 2016 elections.

The NP-PDP-Laban merger was firmed up Monday night during a three-hour meeting at the Hotel Sofitel, which was attended by the top leadership of both parties and Duterte.

“It’s a done deal. The official announcement of the merger of the two parties with Duterte as the standard-bearer will be made last week of September,” a highly reliable source, who was privy to the meeting, told The Standard.

The two parties will meet again in mid-September to decide on Duterte’s running mate.

“It is a toss-up between Senators [Ferdinand] Bongbong Marcos [II] and Allan Peter Cayetano, both NP stalwarts,” said the source who requested anonymity.

NP president former Senator Manuel Villar and his wife Senator Cynthia Villar clinched the agreement with former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and his son and namesake Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman emeritus and president of PDP-Laban, respectively, in the presence of Duterte.

The Villars and Pimentels gave Duterte the option to pick between Marcos and Cayetano as his running mate.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, also an NP member and who has repeatedly announced his availability to run for a higher office, was not considered.

The Villars and Pimentels have yet to inform President Aquino, the LP chairman, of their decision to leave the administration coalition primarily because they could no longer support the candidacy of the President’s anointed one, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

Roxas was endorsed by the President as the LP standard bearer for 2016. He said he had chosen Roxas because he was in the best position to continue his reform agenda, the much touted “Tuwid na Daan” or straight path.

In the 2013 midterm elections, the NP and PDP-Laban, along with the Nationalist People’s Coalition, National Unity Party, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino and Akbayan formed the administration alliance that was spearheaded by the LP to bankroll the Team PNoy that won nine of the 12 seats in the Senate.

Cynthia Villar, Cayetano and Trillanes from the NP and the young Pimentel of the PDP-Laban were among those who ran and won under the LP-led Team PNoy.

“The NP and PDP-Laban chose to join forces as the latter insisted they wanted someone from Mindanao and Visayan-speaking to be the country’s next President,” the source said.

“They found Duterte to be the strongest contender that could fill the bill.”

The PDP-Laban earlier adopted Duterte as its standard bearer.

Duterte, according to the source, was comfortable being carried by the NP because his father, former Davao Gov. Vicente Duterte, was also an NP stalwart.

Duterte counts as his bailiwicks the Visayan-speaking Mindanao and the Visayas because his father was a native of Danao, Cebu, in the Visayas and his mother, Soledad Roa, was from Agusan and Misamis in Mindanao.

Duterte said he was comfortable working with either Marcos or Cayetano as his running mate.

Marcos counts as his bailiwicks the North as his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was from Ilocos Norte and his mother and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos is a native of Leyte and Samar.

source: Manila Standard Today


Published on: Sep. 01, 2015 at 12:01 am
By: Christine F. Herrera 

DUTERTE SERYE | Rody Duterte Mobbed in Macau, People Shout: "He is our Hope!"

By Manny Piñol

Macau, SAR - Walking into the Cotai Arena of the Venetian Macau, I had the feeling that my friend Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte would turn heads among the largely Filipino crowd who trooped to watch the championship fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and American Chris Algieri.

It was about 10 a.m. and the action inside the arena has started but there were still people at the entrance gates when the 69-year-old colorful Mayor strode in accompanied by his high school classmate and childhood friend Carlos "Sonny" Dominguez, the former secretary of agriculture, his two sons, Ralph and Nacho, his aide, Bong Go, myself and two more friends.

First, there were just about two of three who recognized him saying: "Hala, si Mayor Duterte!"

As several others heard the name Duterte, what followed was pandenomium as people started to rush towards the Davao City Mayor who also appeared surprised by the spontaneous display of adulation and affection by people.

"Ito ang pag-asa ng bayan," several of them shouted as they pressed to get near the Davao City mayor.

"Mabuhay, President Duterte," shouted others.

As the crowd grew bigger, I stepped out and stayed with Ralph and Nacho Dominguez a short distance away and all of us witnessed what we all thought was a spectacular display of thirst and hunger of the people for a leader like Duterte.

From a distance, I raised by camera and took pictures of the spectacle. Some of the photos were out of focus but they nevertheless carried the message.

Behind me, I heard a woman ask her male companion who the center of the commotion was.

"Yan yong Mayor na matigas at palaban at nag-pa "Pak Yu" sa TV," the man told her. I almost laughed out loud.

Seeing the dramatic display of affection by people who a leader who has made his city the 4th Safest in the World and who has remained untarnished by issues of corruption in spite of his 30 years in government service, I felt a lump in my throat and almost shed a tear.

"Grabe ito Manong," Ralph Dominguez told me.

It took Mayor Duterte almost 30 minutes before he could break free from the crowd and proceed to the arena to watch the fights.

As he walked away from the crowd, I saw him take a deep breath.

I understood what that meant. Duterte was touched by what he saw and what he felt.

Inside, people applauded the performance of the fighters capped by Pacquiao's thrashing of the previously undefeated Algieri.

But my mind was still on what I witnessed outside of the arena where another fighter, one who fights for his people's right to live in peace, was literally proclaimed by the people as the man they would like to be their next President.

 

source: MannyPiño1.com

Duterte Serye | Duterte says Visibility is not Due to Prexy Bid

By Bot Consultancy (Ben Jason Oñate Tesiorna )

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo dismissed observations that his recent visibility in the national scene has something to do with his presidential bid come 2016.

Despite his constant statement downplaying growing clamor for him to run for president, many still do not believe that Duterte is not interested in running for president considering that he has been very visible in many parts of the country since last year.

Last year, during the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda, Duterte went to the devastated city of Tacloban and other areas in the Visayas to distribute relief goods and cash assistance to the LGUs. Duterte came well ahead of any other other politicians.

Duterte also visited earthquake ravaged areas of Cebu and Bohol to also distribute cash and relief goods.

Last Monday, Duterte was the guest of honor and speaker during the weekly flag-raising ceremony at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame.

Duterte also gave the P1 million check, as promised, to members of Task Force Enzo Pastor and Task Force Pivot of CIDG for successfully apprehending the personalities behind the killing of race car driver Enzo Pastor.

Duterte however explained that his mission in going around the country is to push for the federal form of government and not for a presidential bid.

The mayor also downplayed accusation that he is “unpatriotic” for having not heeded to the call of many Filipinos for him to run for president.

Duterte said that whoever is accusing him of that are those who really wanted him to run. He said there are many more Filipinos more suitable for the job. Duterte he simply do not covet the position thus his refusal.

source: Bot Consultancy