'Marcos' Alyansa remains intact’

Camille Villar bolting coalition?

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the viral photos on social media of Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar with Vice President Sara Duterte and the withdrawal of Sen. Imee Marcos from the administration slate, Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas is intact, campaign manager Toby Tiangco said.

Tiangco said the five-party Alyansa – composed of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, Lakas-CMD, Nationalist People’s Coalition, National Unity Party and Nacionalista Party – remains complete.

“Our candidates continue to receive overwhelming support both at the national and local level, and even from grassroots organizations. This is something that we welcome and we are proud of because politics is about addition, not division. It is about building coalitions. And in any election, every bit of support counts,” the Alyansa campaign manager said in a message to reporters.

Photos circulating on social media showed Villar wearing an orange t-shirt – her family’s trademark political color – posing alongside Duterte, who was dressed in a green polo shirt, in an undated photo shoot.

Another photo featured the younger Villar with her father, former Senate president Manny Villar, and the Vice President. All three had raised clenched fists, a signature gesture associated with the Vice President’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

“The Alyansa candidates were personally chosen by President Marcos because of their excellent capabilities and strong experience. The Alyansa candidates are part of the administration slate because they are committed to the vision we all share: Bagong Pilipinas,” Tiangco said in Filipino.

“One of our goals is to build broad support around the shared platform of Alyansa, and our overarching objective is for all our candidates to win because they are capable, committed and deserving of the trust and confidence of the Filipino people,” he continued.

Tiangco said Alyansa remains unshaken and united, as its senatorial slate continues to gain broad and growing support nationwide, underscoring the coalition’s strength and the clear endorsement it is receiving from the Filipino people.

“Every endorsement received by each Alyansa candidate is proof of agreement and support for the Bagong Pilipinas being promoted by our President. And that is what matters most,” Tiangco added.

Alyansa was set to hold its 13th major campaign rally in Cebu last weekend, but the event did not push through, with no explanation provided to reporters. Cebu is considered the most vote-rich province in the entire country, with over three million registered voters.

On Friday, Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia endorsed several Alyansa senatorial candidates: former Senate president Vicente Sotto III, former senator Panfilo Lacson, reelectionist Sen. Pia Cayetano and Villar. On Saturday, Garcia endorsed Makati Mayor Abby Binay’s senatorial bid.

Earlier, the Cebu governor had endorsed the Senate campaigns of reelectionist Sen. Francis Tolentino, former senator Manny Pacquiao and former interior secretary Benhur Abalos.

VP endorses Imee

Meanwhile, saying her ideals and principles run counter to those of the administration, Marcos said she could no longer stand on the same campaign platform as the rest of the party.

After leaving the Alyansa slate, the President’s elder sister has been formally endorsed by the Vice President.

Duterte and Marcos have teamed up under the banner of “Team ITIM,” an acronym for Ilaban ang Tama, Itama ang Mali, which loosely translates to “Fight for what is right, Right what is wrong.”

The reelectionist senator placed 16th in the latest survey for the senatorial race, out of the Magic 12.

Marcos has been vocal in her support for former president Duterte, who was arrested and is now under the custody of the International Criminal Court, where he is facing charges of crimes against humanity.

In a 30-second-long video filmed in black and white, a voice over stated “Ipaglalaban tayo ni Imee Marcos (Imee Marcos will fight for us),” and ends with Duterte saying, “Iboto si Senator Imee.”

The video appeared to be a direct criticism of the current administration.

Tiangco and other Alyansa bets wished Marcos luck in the midterm elections.

The Alyansa ticket includes Abalos, Binay, Sen. Bong Revilla, Cayetano, Lacson, Sen. Lito Lapid, Pacquiao, Sotto, Tolentino, ACT-CIS Rep. and former social welfare secretary Erwin Tulfo and Villar.