A NEW “youth bloc” in the House of Representatives urged Vice President Sara Duterte to persuade her family members to support President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration.
The call comes as the rift between President Marcos and his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, the vice president’s father, deepens.
Duterte has labeled Marcos as a “drug addict” while his son, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, demanded Marcos’ resignation.
The President has countered by saying that Duterte’s rants were the result of the painkiller fentanyl he is taking.
The bloc, calling themselves the Young Guns, is composed of Representatives Jefferson Khonghun of Zambales, Francisco Paolo Ortega 5th of La Union, Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur, and Faustino “Inno” Dy 5th of Isabela.
The group introduced themselves during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Khonghun said he hoped Vice President Duterte would talk to her father and brother and convince them to support President Marcos because he believes that Marcos only wants progress and peace in the country.
Ortega said the UniTeam, the alliance of Marcos and Duterte during the 2022 elections, remains intact, and the promises they made during the election are now being felt by their constituents.
“The promises that they made during the election are now being felt in our district, and I’m sure our constituents now feel the government today,” Ortega said.
Adiong, too, believes the UniTeam is intact and has been converted into a “concrete and actual plan” that led to the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign.
“I don’t think there is a crack in it kasi solid po ang ating gobyerno, solid po ang legislature (because our government is solid, our legislature is solid). [The vice president] came out with a statement that she does not agree with the pronouncement of her family. She, in fact, supports the President. So, that is an indication of unity,” Adiong said.
The vice president has denied that the UniTeam has split up following the numerous controversies that hounded her office.
She affirmed her good relationship with the President in an interview with reporters during the sidelines of her official visit to Malaysia as part of her duties as president of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (Seameo) on Monday.
“We have no problem with each other. President [Marcos] and I are doing good, and we are OK in our relationship,” Duterte said.
She refused to comment on her relationship with First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, who was seen “snubbing” her during the President’s departure honors to Vietnam two weeks ago.
The snub sparked rumors of bad blood between her and Duterte, especially after the “Hakbang ng Maisug” event in Davao City last January 28.
Duterte said she has not spoken with both her father and brother since the event.
She also declined to comment on the calls by her father for a Mindanao secession.