FILE – Former senator Bongbong Marcos (center) and wife, Atty. Liza Araneta-Marcos (right), and sister, Imee Marcos (left), arrive at the Supreme Court (SC), which convened as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), for the manual recount of votes starting today, April 2, 2018. (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Marianne Bermudez)
MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is in talks with the two factions in ruling party PDP-Laban, his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, said Monday.
She said her brother is keeping his options open for the 2022 elections.
“May kung iba’t iba pang mga kaibigan sa dalawang pangkat ng PDP. I know na si Sen. Manny Pacquiao, nagusap din sila. Everything is open and influx at the moment,” Marcos told senators in an online interview.
(There are friends from the two factions of PDP. I know that Sen. Manny Pacquiao, they’ve already talked. Everything is open and influx[ing] at the moment.)
The Cusi wing, which is at odds with the Pacquiao faction, had earlier said it would accept the former senator as a new party member.
READ: PDP-Laban willing to accept Bongbong Marcos
“Lahat ng partido kinakausap siya from, siyempre, yung dati namin mga kasamahan hindi naman siya kumalas sa Nacionalista kasi yun ang tinakbo niya mula’t sapul…Nandun yung iba’t ibang partido, ng HNP (Hugpong ng Pagbabago), siyempre sinuportahan kami ni [Davao City Mayor] Inday Sara kahit regional lang ‘yun,” Marcos went on.
(Many parties are talking to him, of course, our old colleagues, he did not break away from Nacionalista Party because he has been running under that party ever since…There is also HNP; we were supported by Inday Sara even though that party is only a regional party.)
In May, a photo of Marcos’ siblings with presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio sparked speculations that the latter may team up with the son and namesake of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 2022.
Earlier, Marcos said her brother is considering vying for the presidency in 2022.
READ: Presidential bid for Bongbong possible in 2022 – Imee Marcos
In any event, her brother would be “honored” to run alongside Duterte-Carpio. She called the pairing a “marriage made in heaven.”
“Tuloy tuloy lang siya, umiikot-ikot lang siya tapos sabi niya pag kinailangan siya, andyan naman siya,” Marcos further said.
(He kept going around and said he was available if anyone needed him.)
“Open naman siya sa lahat. Maraming nagsasabi mag-vice president ka or yung iba naman mag-presidente ka na ang magulo,” she added.
(He is open-minded. Some say he should run for vice president and some say he should run for president.)