Former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. (File photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — A newly reorganized and renamed group of President Rodrigo Duterte supporters, some of whose members were previously linked to calls for a revolutionary government, is backing the candidacies of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
The Movement for Reform and Regional Development towards New Economic and Cultural Cooperation (MRRD-NECC), which was formerly named Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Coordinating Council, on Tuesday disowned an endorsement of Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso by a “faction” of the group led by former Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones.
At a press conference on Tuesday, MRRD-NECC representative Diosdado Padilla said, “We reiterate our unwavering support for the UniTeam campaign of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte, and we commit ourselves to campaign and mobilize to push for their victory on May 9.”
Padilla maintained it was a “collective decision” of the MRRD-NECC and claimed that Castriciones’ support for Domagoso was “not reflective of the true desires of the party and done without consultation or authorization of its stakeholders.”
MRRD-NECC, Padilla claimed, has already been reorganized with Rex Panumpang as chair, Emily Padilla as president and Ranibai Dilangalen as secretary general.
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