Former Chief presidential legal counsel and senatorial bet Salvador Panelo said he would not be surprised if President Rodrigo Duterte also eventually endorses the presidential bid of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for president.
The PDP-Laban Cusi wing’s on Tuesday announced its support for Marcos.
Panelo, who held a press conference in Bacolod City on Wednesday, March 23, is running for senator under Marcos’ slate.
Panelo said Marcos is the only presidential candidate who has not criticized the Duterte administration.
Marcos has also committed to continue the reforms of Duterte, while other candidates have criticized his programs, and opposed his uncompromising, and unorthodox but effective governance, Panelo added.
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III , who heads the PDP-Laban faction that supports the presidential bid of Senator Manny Pacquiao, on Tuesday said the move of the Cusi wing manifested that they are total strangers to PDP Laban.
“They don’t even acknowledge that PDP Laban was established to oppose the Marcos dictatorship. Time for Comelec to dismiss the petition of these usurpers,” Pimentel added.
“In Germany for example, a political party formed to oppose Adolf Hitler will definitely not support an Adolf Hitler Jr.
Logic lang yan. Consistent with the PDP Laban history, struggles, deaths, and party constitution,” he said.
Panelo said Pimentel’s reason to reject the Cusi wing’s endorsement of Marcos is hypocritical because PDP Laban, under his leadership, supported the 2016 candidacy of Duterte, “who praised Ferdinand Marcos Sr. as a great leader”.*