Lakas-CMD tells Duterte ally: Stop the intrigue

MANILA, Philippines — The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) on Saturday told off former presidential adviser on religious affairs Grepor Belgica for sowing “intrigue” about the party “conspiring” against President Rodrigo Duterte.

The party, now chaired by vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, issued a statement in support of the President as 44 Cebu mayors declared support for the mayor’s running mate, former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Mr. Belgica should stop sowing intrigues that divide forces loyal to the President. He should stop this dirty politics,” Lakas-CMD said in a statement on Saturday.

The party issued the statement after Belgica said on Friday that Mr. Duterte’s allies conspired against and undermined the President when Lakas-CMD, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) forged their UniTeam alliance to support Marcos and Mayor Duterte.

‘Greed for power’

Marcos is running for president under PFP while the younger Duterte, founder of Hugpong, is running under Lakas-CMD.

The PMP is affiliated with former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, while former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is Lakas-CMD president emeritus.

Belgica criticized the alliance leaders, because Mr. Duterte helped one of them regarding his late father’s burial, while the other was released from detention under the President’s term.

“The greed for power played. They are not able to overcome it. That’s human nature, they forget everything for their own aggrandizement,” he said on Friday.

But Lakas-CMD stressed that the UniTeam alliance remains supportive of Mr. Duterte, who backs the presidential bid of Sen. Christopher Go under Belgica’s Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS).

“Mr. Belgica of PDDS equates years of public service by former presidents as greed for power. He might be speaking based on his own experience. It might be the reason for Mr. Belgica to enter the government. Greed,” Lakas-CMD said.

Belgica made the remarks as Marcos and Mayor Duterte rallied supporters in Cebu where 44 mayors declared support for the tandem, according to Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco, daughter of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and spokesperson of the vice presidential aspirant.

“On behalf of all the 44 mayors of the province of Cebu, particular to the mayors of the fifth district, as well as my fellow mayors in the Visayas, for whom I am the national vice president, we hereby express our unequivocal support to you, for your candidacy and we will do everything in our power to ensure an unequivocal victory in the coming elections,” Garcia-Frasco said.