Former senator and independent senatorial candidate Francis Pangilinan dismissed reports claiming that he is in negotiations with the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate, backed by President Ferdinand Marcos, on Thursday, March 27.
“There have been no discussions between my camp and Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas,” Pangilinan said in a statement.
Furthermore, he reiterated his independence and focus on his core advocacy of “fighting high food prices and ensuring food security for every Filipino family.”
He added that while he welcomes broad-based support for his advocacies, urgent action is needed to address the Philippines’ food crisis and economic hardships.
Pangilinan emphasized that the fight is about ensuring affordable food prices rather than political affiliations. He expressed willingness to collaborate with various parties and groups to help Filipino families struggling with high food costs.
“Our focus is clear: Hello, Pagkain sa Mababang Presyo. Walang kulay ang gutom, at ang solusyon sa mataas na presyo ng bilihin ay dapat pagtulungan nating lahat anuman ang partido,” he concluded.
The Alyansa campaign manager and Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco has previously denied speculation that they had a meeting or discussions with Pangilinan and senatorial candidate Bam Aquino.
“That’s completely untrue. I haven’t met with Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan. The Alyansa slate is solid and fully aligned with President Bongbong Marcos’ agenda,” Tiangco told reporters on Wednesday.
This report surfaced after presidential sister and reelectionist Senator Imee Marcos exited the Alyansa slate.
As of now, Pangilinan has entered the ‘Magic 12,’ ranking between 11th and 13th place, tied with Senator Bong Revilla and TV host Willie Revillame in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
