FORMER President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD) rallied support for the nine senatorial bets of the PDP Laban for the May 2025 elections during the party’s proclamation event at the Club Filipino in San Juan City on February 13, 2024.
One of the issues he raised is the need for an opposition in the Senate, and while he did not sharply criticize the current administration, he warned of the chief executive’s reported use of illegal drugs.
“Kaya, I don’t how it operates now, but if we have to continue to practice democracy, we need to have a Senate, kailangan nandiyan tayo even to persuade any sitting government to do what is right,” he said.
However, FPRRD warned about Marcos’ suspected use of illegal drugs. “Maging ulol si Marcos kung maybe constant use of heroin, aabot pa siya siguiro ng 80, pero pagdating ng panahon na yan, hindi na siya gumagalaw, either nakintindig lang siya sa kuwarto niya, o natutulog,” he added.
Vice President Sara Duterte also sent a message of support for PDP Laban’s senatorial bets. “Ipinapaabot ko ang aking taos-pusong pagbati sa lahat ng miyembro at taga-suporta ng Partido Demokratiko Pilipino na nagtitipon-tipon ngayong araw na ito para sa Senatorial Candidates Proclamation Rally,” she said.
Attended by more than a thousand people, the proclamation rally saw PDP Laban senatorial candidates deliver a unified message to end criminality, illegal drugs and graft and corruption in the country.
The party’s candidates are senators Bong Go and Bato Dela Rosa, lawyer and singer Jimmy Bondoc, lawyer Raul Lambino, former actor Philip Salvador, lawyer Jayvee Hinlo, together with guest candidates Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, and Atty. Vic Rodriguez.
When it came to the issue of corruption, Marcoleta raised the question for this year’s budget. “Bakit po humihirap nang humihirap ang bansa? Thirty percent po ang kaban ng bayan, nauuwi po sa kurapsyon. Tignan n’yo po ang budget ngayong taon,” Marcoleta said.
Hinlo also reiterated his long-standing advocacy for the country to industrialize: “The Philippines needs to industrialize, we need to make our own weapons, we need to make our own machines, we need to protect our technologies, tulungan natin ang ating mga scientists and engineers.”
Salvador said that what the government should do is create jobs, and not give dole outs. “Ginagawa nilang tamad ang Pilipino… trabaho huwag ayuda.”
Meanwhile, Lambino criticized attempts by the current administration to have the Constitution changed or amended, and that he would oppose any new moves to do the same.
“Una, dahil binababoy nila ang Saligang Batas. Di ko matanggap na kung babaguhin nila ang Saligang Batas, sa hindi tamang proseso.”
Go, on the other hand, reminded the people on how FPRRD truly served the Filipino people during his term.
“Tandaan natin, ako ayaw ko manira, ayokong sumagot. Hayaan na natin ang Piipino na humusga, kung nagserbisyo si Pangulong Duterte. Si Tatay Digong sa panahon niya, kayo na ang humusga kung may nagbago sa buhay ninyo,” the senator said.
For his part, Bondoc said that the Senate must have more representatives from PDP Laban to institutionalize what FPRRD fought for, particularly the war on drugs.“
Lahat tayo pwede magkaisa doon, pero heto po sana ang tandaan natin, hanggang kakaunti ang boses natin sa senado, we will not be able to institutionalize or turn into law ang paniniwala na ginawa or pinakilala sa atin ni Pang. Rodrigo Duterte,” he said.
Quiboloy also backed the advocacies of the party. “I stand with the advocacies of PDP Laban, which for the past 43 years of its establishment, has fought for the fundamental rights of Filipinos, pushed for reforms in the government to make the country more inclusive in terms of growth, and stand for the truth,” he said in a video message.
For their part, Dela Rosa and Rodriguez also poked at the recent remark of Marcos that the senatorial candidates of the opposition were “merely tasked to deliver vinegar and were given certificates of candidacy (CoC) on a whim.”
“Sagutin ko lang, in fairness sa lahat ng mga mahihirap na lumaki na nagbebenta ng suka na kagaya ko, napakasakit po pakinggan na kami daw, ‘yung aming team sa PDP, parang lang nagbebenta ng suka, binigyan ng CoC,” Dela Rosa said, adding that the PDP Laban senatorial slate has several lawyers, including Rodriguez.
And Rodriguez said, “Atin pong lalabanan ang team sinusuka. Labanan natin ang mga mambubudol,” adding that he has the credentials and papers to show that he is a lawyer.
“Ang suka ay kalaban ng tanso, ang suka ang kalaban ng pekeng ginto.”
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