Pangilinan sees ‘carnival;’ House leader senses ‘rift’ or ‘ruse’

Francis Pangilinan

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, one of the vice presidential aspirants in the May 2022 elections, likened to a carnival ride the series of events that led to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte joining the VP race on Saturday.

A House opposition leader, meanwhile, said President Rodrigo Duterte’s announcement that he would soon file his certificate of candidacy for vice president—making him one of the rivals of his own daughter — may either be just “an elaborate ruse” to keep opposition forces distracted and divided, or a sign of ‘’still unresolved rifts or divisions’’ among proadministration groups.

‘True opposition’ ready

In a statement on Saturday, Pangilinan said his campaign team expected the last-minute substitution of Sara Duterte as vice presidential candidate of Lakas-CMD party. He described her move as part of a “rigodon de tsibubo” — a change of riders on a carousel or Ferris wheel.

The senator said he and Vice President Leni Robredo, the presidential bet of what they called “the true opposition,” remained “ready for the elections whoever is in the race.”

“[We] joined the race with the belief Vice President Leni is the rightful candidate for the presidency, now that we are in the fight against sickness, hunger, and joblessness,” Pangilinan said in a statement.

PEDALING IN PINK: Ilonggos rooting for Vice President Leni Robredo in the May 2022 presidential elections mount a show of pedal force on Saturday morning in Iloilo City. Robredo and her running mate, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, spent the weekend in the Visayas to meet with various civil society and sectoral representatives. (Photo by ARNOLD ALMACEN / Office of the Iloilo City Mayor)

On Friday, Pangilinan and Robredo attended the blessing of the “Cebu for Leni” headquarters in Cebu City, where they also met with representatives from various sectors, including workers, vendors, and lawyers groups the following day.

Political maneuverings

House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said that if President Duterte would end up as the running mate of Sen. Bong Go, that is “another proof that these ‘trapos’ and dynasties are making a complete mockery of the Philippine electoral system with their political maneuverings and devious schemes.”

“At the surface, this is indicative of still unresolved rifts or divisions among the various pro-Duterte or pro-administration camp, or signs that there are deals and compromises that are yet to be consummated,” Zarate said.

“This BoDuts tandem can also be an elaborate ruse to throw a monkey wrench to keep the nonadministration camps complacent in not forging a broad united movement or even prevent a possible alliance or tandem among competing opposition candidates,” he added.