Davao City Mayor and vice-presidential aspirant Sara Duterte revealed on Tuesday that the ruling PDP-Laban rejected her party's request for support for her tandem with presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos.
"Ang aking partido ay nakipag-alyansa at humingi ng suporta para kay Bongbong Marcos at para sa aking matapos kong tanggapin ang inyong hamon at panawagan," she said in a video message.
(My party made an alliance and asked support for Bongbong Marcos and me after I heeded the public’s call.)
"Tinganggihan ito ng PDP at naiintindihan natin ito," she said.
(PDP turned it down and we understand it.)
She did not mention which PDP-Laban faction was approached, after the party was divided under Senator Aquilino Pimentel and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. However, it can be noted that her father is the chairman of the latter.
The Davao mayor is running under Lakas-CMD and was recently adopted by Marcos for a unified tandem in the upcoming 2022 elections.
Despite PDP's rejection, Sara said she is not smearing anyone and called for national unity for a more peaceful nation
"Pero gusto ko lamang na linawin - walang pangalan na sinisira o dinudungisan, walang sinasagasaan, walang inaagrabyado, inaaway, pinapaiyak, o inaapi," she said.
(But I want to make it clear – I am not destroying or smearing anyone’s name. I am not attacking, aggravating, fighting, or oppressing anyone.)
"Sa muli nananawagan ako ng pagkakaisa. Ang layunin natin ay hindi lamang ituloy ang mga magagandang nasimulan ni Pangulong Duterte kundi ang mas pagbutihin at mas palawigin pa ang mga ito," she added.
(Again, I am calling for unity. Our goal is to not only continue the good things started by President Duterte but to further improve and expand on them.)
