Sandro Marcos joining Lakas meant to fill up leadership void — Luistro

MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos’ decision to join Lakas-CMD was meant to fill up the leadership void following his uncle’s arrest, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said on Thursday.

Luistro, a member of Lakas-CMD, confirmed in an online interview that Marcos indeed joined the party, with the purpose being to oversee the party’s operations — a role that belonged to his uncle, former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who had been detained since early September due to plunder raps.

According to Luistro, Marcos will check on the party’s members, noting that the transfer has nothing to do with the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte and its possible consequences.

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READ: Sandro Marcos leaves PFP, joins Lakas-CMD 

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“Wala din kaming (We don’t have) information relative to that, the only thing that I know is because of what happened to Speaker Martin, who is the president of Lakas-CMD, of course we needed somebody to take care of Lakas-CMD including our party mates,” Luistro said.

“And I am in fact thankful to Majo, Congressman Sandro Marcos, for joining Lakas-CMD party because this has been my national party since the time of Speaker Martin Romualdez.  Wala namang connection siya do’n sa ating napo-foresee or possible appointment ng vice president in the event na magkaroon ang conviction,” she added.

READ: Party changes start in House: Some Lakas members leave for NUP, PFP 

(And I am in fact thankful to Majo, Congressman Sandro Marcos, for joining Lakas-CMD party because this has been my national party since the time of Speaker Martin Romualdez.  But it has no connection to what we foresee or the possible appointment of a vice president in the event that there will be a conviction.)

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Luistro said that Marcos’ transfer to Lakas-CMD boosted the morale of the party members, as it has suffered several setbacks over the past few months.

“Definitely (it is a morale boost) because Cong. Sandro Marcos is the Majority Leader of the 20th Congress and in addition, of course, we cannot deny the fact that he is the presidential son.  So it gives us a sense of confidence that he has joined us in Lakas-CMD,” Luistro said.

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“I was not present because we were in the Senate attending the impeachment trial, so in fact I didn’t know what exactly happened except that I knew that Majo Sandro Marcos already took his own as a member of Lakas-CMD,” she added.

On Wednesday, several sources confirmed that Marcos, son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., had joined Lakas-CMD and left the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).

PFP is the political party of the president and incumbent House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III.

According to different sources, Marcos took his oath as a member of the party in a ceremony last Monday.

Aside from Luistro, other key members of the House belongs to Lakas-CMD, like Deputy Speakers Paolo Ortega V and Jefferson Khonghun, and former Speaker and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Asked whether Arroyo cannot fill the leadership void left by Romualdez, Luistro said it is also a possibility, but at the same time noting that the former president is already the party’s chairwoman-emeritus.

“Well I think pwede din naman (it’s possible), but we have to remember that the former president PGMA is already the chairwoman-emeritus of Lakas-CMD and definitely she takes care of us, and we just believe that the more the people who have the ability to take care of us, that will be best for the members of Lakas-CMD,” Luistro noted.

While neither Marcos nor the party has issued an official statement about the change, the move bolsters the strength of Lakas-CMD, as it maintains the title of being the largest party in the House with around 70 members.

The last time that party changes were reported in the House was last May — just before Vice President Sara Duterte was impeached.  During the shake-up, several Lakas-CMD members have left for either the National Unity Party (NUP) or PFP.

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One of the former Lakas members, Manila Rep. Rep. Joel Chua admitted that he and Manila solons moved from Lakas-CMD to NUP, the party chaired by House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno. /mr