With Imee out of Alyansa, Lacson says Andrew E needs to revise sortie chant

Former Senator Panfilo `Ping’ Lacson. File Photo

MANILA, Philippines — It looks like legendary Filipino rapper Andrew E. will have some problem when he hypes the crowd at Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas rallies now that Senator Imee Marcos has left the group.

Former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson pointed that out on Friday in a press conference in Antipolo City. There, Lacson jokingly asked how Andrew E will now shout ‘labing-dalawa’ or twelve in Filipino, with Marcos opting to run solo for the 2025 midterm elections.

“We’re only eleven now, but we still wish Senator Imee all the best in her campaign.  But the one facing a bigger problem among us is Andrew E., (because now he will say) ‘when I say Alyansa, you say eleven,” Lacson said in mixed Filipino and English, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Lacson’s buddy and running-mate in the 2022 presidential race, former Senate president Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, meanwhile said Andrew E. has an even graver problem than hyping Alyansa crowds.

According to Sotto, Andrew E. supposedly used one of his songs with VST & Company in campaigning for the opponent of Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto at the local elections.

Another problem

Mayor Sotto is former senator Sotto’s nephew, being the son of television host and actor Vic Sotto.

“Since Senator Lacson mentioned Andrew E., he has another problem.  He was singing the song ‘Ikaw ang Aking Mahal’ during our sorties, but that’s okay with me.  But he sang it during the sortie of Vico’s opponent, but I composed that song, and he’s using that against my nephew,” Sotto said in Filipino.

“‘Is that right? You don’t use that),” he added.

Marcos announced on March 26 that she has officially withdrawn from Alyansa, as she can no longer stand on the same platform as the administration-backed team. The development came two weeks after former president Rodrigo Duterte, her close ally, was taken into custody by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

READ: Imee Marcos leaves Bongbong-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas

“I cannot stand on the same campaign platform as the rest of the Alyansa. As I have stated from the outset of the election period, I will continue to maintain my independence,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.

Alyansa, on the other hand, wished Marcos luck in her independent campaign.

Last March 14, Marcos apologized to people from their maternal hometown Leyte for her absence, saying that she will not join Alyansa’s rally in Tacloban City as she cannot accept what happened to Duterte.

Notably absent during the Tacloban sortie were Deputy Speaker Camille Villar and Senator Pia Cayetano — who, like Marcos, are members of the Nacionalista Party.

Presidential endorsement

Cayetano attended the Cavite sortie last March 21, but Villar was absent.

READ: New Alyansa promo photo omits Imee Marcos after leaving slate

At the Tacloban rally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. still appeared to endorse his sister, Senator Marcos, saying that if only the latter was present, she would have spoken to attendees using the Waray dialect.

But at the sortie in Cavite, President Marcos did not mention her sister in introducing Alyansa’s candidates.  This incident happened again on the next day, during the sortie in Laguna.

There are five political parties forming Alyansa: Nacionalista Party, President Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, Nationalist People’s Coalition, National Unity Party, and Lakas-CMD.