By Jefferson Antiporda & William B Depasupil/Manila Times
Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr is certain he will have no problem working with any elected president if he wins the vice presidential race next year.
Marcos, who earlier vowed to work for the country’s unity, yesterday said once elected vice president – the second highest position in the executive branch of government – he will provide support and assistance to the president the best way he can.
“I don’t think I will have any problem working with any of the presidential candidates or prospective presidential candidates,” he added after filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Intramuros, Manila.
“I’m sure there’s no one that I cannot work with. That’s just not part of my thinking. But of course, you can also try to influence policy in ways you see best,” the 58-year-old senator said.
Marcos, who will be running as an independent, also pledged a revolution of unity and change. His wife Liza Araneta, cousin and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and several supporters accompanied him when he showed up at the Comelec.
Marcos said he will include in his programme of government the eradication of poverty, illegal drugs and graft and corruption. “With your help, I will lead a revolution of the heart for a meaningful change. I will lead the campaign for us to realise our dreams. I will fight for the country, I will not allow parts of it to be taken away from us,” he promised.
Marcos said that over his 30 years in public service, he had seen how the people had suffered and how they were left out by the government while corrupt officials siphoned off the country’s wealth in connivance with greedy individuals.
In his declaration speech on Saturday, he vowed to lead a revolution toward a real and meaningful change and a campaign that will bring back the integrity of the Philippines and its people.
Marcos also vowed to end the disunity and polarisation brought by the adversarial form of governance by the previous and the current administrations.Unity, according to him, is essential if the nation is to move forward toward a better future.
“Adversarial politics is fine until the elections are over. Once the elections are over, we really must put all that aside and work for the national interest, not partisan interest, not individual interest, but the national interest,” Marcos said.
Marcos, who was the seventh vice presidential candidate to submit his COC, will run as an independent candidate despite being a member of the Nacionalista Party (NP).
He explained that the NP has refused to pick its official candidate for vice president.
Two other NP members – Senators Antonio Trillanes and Alan Peter Cayetano -- are also running for vice president.
“They (NP) don’t want to choose an official candidate for VP (vice president),” Marcos said when asked why he is running as an independent.
He, however, sees no problem with the position of his party. “There is also a possibility that the party will select a VP candidate to support later on,” Marcos said.
Trillanes is set to file his COC today while Sen. Francis Escudero will file his tomorrow.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos gestures as he stands next to his wife, while holding his Certificate of Can
