David fist bumps Sotto at the Comelec organized debate.
MANILA, Philippines — Vice presidential aspirant Rizalito ‘Lito’ David has endorsed the mixed tandem of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III for the presidency, and vice presidency, respectively, in the upcoming May polls.
David, who is running with presidential candidate Dr. Joey Montemayor, said he is willing to give up his political ambition and form a “grand coalition” with the others who are running for vice president “in order to defeat” Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Duterte-Carpio is gunning for the second top elective post in the country with former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos.
“Yes (I am willing to withdraw) in order to defeat these people (Marcos and Duterte-Carpio). Kasalanan ng tatay nila dadalin nila ‘yan. Walang maibibigay na mabuti ‘yung tandem na ‘yan (They will just continue the sins and mistakes of their fathers. I don’t think this tandem can do anything good for us),” David said during the first vice presidential debates organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Asked who he would be endorsing if he will be withdrawing his candidacy, David said: “Sino ba ang third most powerful person (Who is the third most powerful person) now? SP Sotto. I don’t mind supporting Sen. Sotto,” he added.
David also said that if a “grand” coalition is formed among the presidential and vice-presidential runners, “I don’t mind supporting Leni (Robredo).”
“Kung si Leni mapili tapos si Sen. Sotto for VP, ‘yun na lang ang itutulak namin for the remainder of the campaign (If the coalition picks Leni and Sen. Sotto for VP, we [Montemayor and David] will just push for this tandem for the remainder of the campaign),” he added.
Marcos and Duterte has sustained their respective leads in a pre-election survey recently released by Pulse Asia, where 60% of respondents said they will vote for Marcos if the elections were held during the survey period. Robredo was a distant second, with only 15% of voter support.
In the same survey, 53% said they would vote for Duterte-Carpio if elections were held then. Sotto III placed second, with 24% of voter support.
David, who attended last Sunday’s Comelec vice-presidential debate, expressed hope that a one-on-one debate between Robredo and Marcos, and between Sotto and Duterte-Carpio could be organized to test their political, leadership and experience capacities.
All debate podiums reserved for Marcos and Duterte-Carpio have been empty in the past months, with the two candidates separately shunning all debates organized by different media entities. They have stood firm about not attending the debates, which they claim are a waste of their time.