Marcos must be blamed for Alyansa’s underwhelming performance - Sara

Metro Manila, Philippines - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must take the blame for the underwhelming performance of administration senatorial candidates in the May 12 elections, Vice President Sara Duterte said on Saturday, May 17.

Six out of the 11-member administration slate Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas were proclaimed as Senators on Saturday, May 17. This includes newcomer Camille Villar, who was also endorsed by the vice president and adopted as guest candidate of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, two days before the midterm race.

On the other hand, five candidates endorsed by Duterte won in the Senate race.

“And why do I think that the Alyansa Senators did not perform well? It's because of the President. The President, the people are, the people find him wanting of his promises, and the people expect more from the President, particularly with regard to his work for our country. So they should not blame anyone else (for) anything that has happened. It's just the President,” Duterte said in an interview in Davao City.

The vice president has consistently slammed the Marcos administration, in particular the president’s cheaper rice promise during the 2022 elections.

Meanwhile, in a chance interview during the proclamation of the new Senators on Saturday, Erwin Tulfo, the highest ranking administration bet, said there could be a number of reasons for their low votes in Mindanao, Duterte’s bailiwick.

“That’s just one, bahagi lang iyon. Pero marami e, maraming iyong mga away-away pulitika, iyong hindi pagkakasundo. Kasi kung sasabihin mo lang na impeachment, hindi iyon e. Marami nga ika nga mga bagay, problema. Siguro nakita rin ng mga tao iyong away ng dalawang grupo,” he said.

[Translation: That’s just one thing, that’s just a part of it. But there’s a lot—there’s a lot of political conflict, disagreements. Because if you just say it’s about the impeachment, it’s not just that. There are, as they say, many issues and problems. Maybe people also saw the conflict between the two groups.]

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