Duterte’s arrest won’t affect Alyansa bets’ Mindanao campaign leg

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raising the hands of Alyansa senatorial candidates in Tacloban rally.

MANILA, Philippines — Senatorial candidates of the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas are setting their eyes on the prize, maintaining that they would continue to campaign in Mindanao despite the recent developments on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest.

In an ambush interview in Cavite on Friday, the senatorial aspirants were separately asked how they think the recent arrest of Duterte would affect their campaign in Mindanao.

READ: Marcos Cabinet met to address, not plan, Duterte’s arrest – Remulla

Former Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said the campaign will continue, noting the need for them to share their platforms to Filipinos.

He said the recent developement might have an effect on their campaign because they are “related to the administration.”

“Pero I just have to campaign there na ang plataporma natin ay pagtulong na hindi masama ang tumulong. It’s going to help and it doesn’t matter what color you are red green blue white tulong is tulong po. Wala kaming pakialam,” said Tulfo.

(But I have to campaign their for them to know that my platform is to help people. It’s going to help and it doesn’t matter what color you are — red, green, blue, white. Help is help.)

Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, meanwhile, said the arrest would definitely have an effect on their campaign, but she also pointed out the need to focus on what the candidates can contribute.

“May epekto naman talaga pero at the end of the day dapat ang tingnan is yung plataporma ng tao. It’s not about your alliance but what can you bring to the table,” she simply said.

(It does have an effect but at the end of the day, what we need to look st is the platform. It’s not about your alliance vut what you can bring to the table.)

Both former senators Ping Lacson and Tito Sotto, for their parts, said they would be willing to go to Mindanao should they get invited by local government units.

“Ipapaalam namin yung aming hangarin, yung track record namin, ano yung gusto naming gawin para sa bansa,” said Sotto.

(We will tell them our goal, our track records, and what we wanna do to our country.)

The Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas has yet to release information for their next campaign rally in Mindanao.

The 12 administration-backed senatorial candidates in the May elections kicked off their campaign in Duterte’s turf in February.