MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will be running for higher office in next year’s elections, although he has yet to decide whether it will be for president or vice president.
A proclamation will be made on Sept. 20 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, according to officials of the newly formed coalition between Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) and Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka (PMM).
Lawyer Oliver Lozano, KBL-PMM spokesperson, told The STAR yesterday that the coalition has lined up possible vice presidential candidates in case Marcos decides to run for president next year.
“But if Senator Bongbong decides to slide to vice president for United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay, the coalition will abide by his decision,” Lozano said.
He said a unity accord would be presented to Marcos during the general assembly, copies of which would be given to the senator’s mother, former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, the titular head of KBL.
“Senator Marcos will be the rallying point for the revival of KBL at the grassroots level,” Lozano said.
Aside from the grand proclamation rally, the coalition has also set Sept. 11 as the signing of the multi-sectoral and multi-partisan covenant against computer cheating at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. This will be followed by a “people’s march” for clean and credible elections.
Lozano noted that UNA and the KBL-PMM coalition have agreed in principle to forge a covenant against possible electronic cheating in the coming polls.
KBL president Vicente Millora and PMM president Jose Malvar Villegas said the coalition would be a “healing alliance” that pursues a vision of national greatness through massive economic development and social justice.
They said the KBL-PMM coalition would carry out a national campaign for Marcos as well as “provide the political machinery needed to win in the elections.”
Both KBL and PMM are accredited political parties by the Commission on Elections.
Villegas said the 2016 elections would be a repeat of the 1992 elections where the PMM-Lakas Tao alliance carried out a national campaign that led to Fidel Ramos winning the presidential race.