Marcos backs Sandro’s account: ‘My son will not lie’ – Palace

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday affirmed his son’s account of the 2022 presidential campaign, including claims of a power struggle that eventually contributed to the breakup of the UniTeam alliance.

House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos said over the weekend that three unnamed individuals allegedly sought to influence the appointments of the executive secretary, Senate president, and House speaker in exchange for then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s support for his father’s presidential bid.

“Actually tinanong ko rin mismo si Pangulo kanina, at ang sabi lamang niya sa akin ay he has raised his kids well and his son, Cong. Sandro will not lie,” said Palace Press Officer Claire Castro at a briefing.

(Actually, I also asked the President about it himself earlier, and he simply told me that he has raised his kids well, and that his son, Cong. Sandro, would not lie.)

Castro also declined to identify the personalities referred to by Rep. Marcos, saying she respected the lawmaker’s decision not to name them.

READ: Marcos to Duterte: ‘What did you compromise?’

Meanwhile, Rep. Marcos also said he had anticipated the early breakup of the UniTeam alliance.

Reacting to this, Castro said Rep. Marcos had likely seen the situation firsthand, which was why he made the statement.

“Sa ating palagay, nakita mismo ni Congresman Sandro Marcos ang sitwasyon kung bakit niya ‘yan nasabi. At makikita rin naman kung inyong iko-connect sa lahat ng mga sinabi ng bise presidente, nakikita niyo kung ano ba ‘yung mga demands na maaring hindi napagbigyan ng Pangulo dahil hindi ito makakaganda sa first, pondo ng bayan, interes ng bayan, kaya hindi napagbigyan.”

(In our view, Congressman Sandro Marcos saw the situation himself, which is why he said that. And if you connect it to everything the Vice President has said, you can see what demands may not have been granted by the President because they would not have been beneficial to public funds or the national interest. That is why they were not granted.)

“Kaya sinasabi na may power struggle dahil may mga grupo na gustong manatili sa posisyon at hawakan ay kontrolin ang Pangulo at hindi ‘yun pinayagan ni Pangulong Marcos Jr.,” she also said.

(That is why it is being described as a power struggle: there were groups that wanted to remain in their positions and to hold and control the President, and President Marcos Jr. did not allow that.)

Castro said she was unable to ask President Marcos why the personalities allegedly wanted control over the appointment of the executive secretary and Congress leaders.

However, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) viewed the alleged power struggle as possibly part of an effort to remove the President from office.

“Ang nakikita ng PCO dito, power struggle, kontrolin ang Pangulo. Maybe the plan to remove the President like what happened before. That’s the opinion of PCO,” she said.

(What the PCO sees here is a power struggle—an attempt to control the President. Perhaps there was a plan to remove the President, as what happened before. That is the PCO’s opinion.)

What Rep. Marcos said

In an interview with DZMM’s Kwatro Alas program on Saturday, Rep. Marcos said he and his father went to Malacañang to seek an endorsement from Duterte for the 2022 presidential elections.

Rep. Marcos said one individual, an incumbent official, sought demands in exchange for Duterte’s support.

“And sinabi niya kay Pangulo [President Marcos], ‘Sige, suportahan ka namin on the condition that kami ang mamimili ng ES (Executive Secretary), kami mamimili ng Speaker, kami mamimili ng Senate President, kami mamimili ng secretary…’ Basta marami silang hiningi,” the second-term congressman said.

(He told the President [President Marcos], “Alright, we’ll support you on the condition that we get to choose the Executive Secretary, the Speaker, the Senate President, the secretary of…”Basically they asked for a lot.)

The revelation followed a question about the fallout of the UniTeam, President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte’s tandem, which the lawmaker said was due to a power struggle.

“A part of me kinda saw it coming, hindi dahil sa isang tao kundi dahil sa dami ng mga iba’t ibang partido sa paligid, sa dami nilang, it was a power struggle,” he said.

(A part of me kind of saw it coming—not because of any single person, but because of the many different factions involved, given how many there were. It was a power struggle.)

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