Thank you, Anton, Secretary Anton Lagdameo;
[and— please, please, sit down.]
I am very happy to be able to come to this, I suppose we can call this a caucus of the Partido Federal.
So, let me greet the South Cotabato Governor and the PFP President, Jun Tamayo; [applause] and someone who has been, who I have been harassing to work behind the scenes and telling him to prove his worth, my son, Ilocos Norte First District Governor, [laughter], First District Representative, Sandro Marcos; [applause] we have some members of the Cabinet here; the honorable members of the House of Representatives; and of course, our, the new members of the PFP that we have just sworn in; the officers and members of the PFP ng, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas; my fellow workers in government; and let me greet also our host, si Don Ramon who is here to join us in this very important affair; [applause]; other distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.
Well, I suppose it comes as no surprise that the reason that we are having this meeting is that we are trying to start to organize ourselves for the next election of next year.
And as we know, kagaya ng mga sinasabi, lagi nating naririnig, at siguro naging experience na rin natin. You cannot start too early for any election.
And so, we have begun. And what we have done is we have put together, we have reorganized the PFP so that in such a way to make our party ready for the upcoming elections in 2025.
Now, as I’m sure you are all well aware, ‘pag sinasabing eleksyon ng 2025 ang talagang date na deadline nating lahat is October because filing na tayo sa October.
But the reason that we have been trying to put together – dahil nga kung maalala ninyo noong nakaraang eleksyon, ang ating ipinaglaban, ang ating ipinagsisigaw ay ang pagkakaisa.
At maganda naman ‘yung ganoon ang ating naging mensahe. Mukhang maganda naman dahil tinanggap ng Pilipino ‘yan. Kaya’t napakaganda ng naging resulta sa ating mga kasama.
Basta’t sila’y nakibahagi dun sa pagkakaisa na movement na ginawa natin.
Ngayon, sa aking pagalay, ‘yun pa rin ang hinahanap ng mga Pilipino. At kaya’t hindi naman sa sinasabi natin that we want to dominate the entire political scenery, but what we need to do is not to dominate anything, but what we need to do is to be able to bring under, unto the fold the, all the different elements of society, all the different elements of the political structure so that we are all working together.
Now, if you look at it, we have not yet been in office for two years and – but in the small time, napakarami na nating nagawa, napakarami na nating naumpisahan.
And the reason is that because we have been working together, we have been following the same plan, we have come together, nakipagugnayan tayo; ano bang problema doon sa inyong region, sa iyong probinsya, sa iyong bayan, at pinakinggan natin silang lahat ng, hindi lamang ‘yung mga political leader, kung di pati na ang mga— ang taong bayan, at nakinig tayo.
At sinama natin, anong sa palagay ninyo ang dapat nating gawin. At tayo’y nagisip, at ginawa natin. Dahil sabay-sabay natin nagawa, sabay-sabay tayong gumagalaw ay maganda naman ang nagiging resulta.
Kaya’t sa palagay ko, sa darating na halalan ay maliwanag na maliwanag na ang taong-bayan andito sa Pilipinas ay talagang sinasabi eh maganda itong ginagawa natin na sabay-sabay tayong tumutulong.
And that is why we are trying to engage all of the different political [shall we say] factions to our own advocacy. And that advocacy is really for the development, sa ikabubuti ng ating bansa, sa pagpaganda ng ating ekonomiya, sa pagbabantay sa pang araw-araw na buhay ng bawat Pilipino.
Naipaglalaban nating ang ating Karapatan. In terms of the international scene. Lahat ‘yan ay mukha naman ay naunawaan ng tao ‘yan at nauunawaan nating mga leader.
Kaya’t ito ‘yung ginagawa natin, kaya’t dahan-dahan we will begin, we will slowly begin to organize already what we are going to do for the next election.
We are in the midst right now of organizing the PFP. We are organizing the different committees.
Ngayon, alam niyo hindi naman tayo lang ang tatakbo, hindi lang naman ang partidao natin ang tatakbo. Kasama diyan, syempre, ang mga ibang malalaking Partido. ‘Yung iba diyan kasama natin, ‘yung iba diyan titignan natin baka sumama rin pero baka hindi.
So, that’s what, that is why we, ito ‘yung laging mahirap kasi pagka tayo’y nag-coalition o nag-alliance, syempre, siguro sa national, madali siguro makapag-agree pero ‘pag sa local eh ‘yun ang medyo komplikado kung minsan ang sitwasyon.
That is why we will begin to organize now a- [ano bang tawag natin diyan Gov. Jun], steering committee or yeah, we will organize a steering committee para makipag-ugnay sa iba’t ibang partido na sasama tayo, na makikipag-partnership tayo.
At ‘yun ang pinaka mahirap talaga. Alam naman natin ‘yun eh. Lahat naman ng eleksyon lagi naman lagi tayong napupunta sa usapang ‘yan.
So, that’s what, that’s the next thing that we have to do—is that we have to, we will, we have organized a steering committee, we will then go and make our alliances with the different parties.
Of course, nand’yan ang Lakas, NPC, NUP. Sa, lalong-lalo na sa House. Pero syempre kailangan din nating kausapin kasi mga governor, may sariling, may mga local party ‘yan.
So, we have to come to some kind of arrangement and that’s the, tingnan natin ‘yung galing ni Gov. Jun dito sa malaking problema na, na komplikadong problem ana kakaharapin niya.
But I think, I have spoken to the leaders of the other parties and as far as I can tell, eh mukha naman, willing naman lahat ng tao na makipagusap, and find a way. Find a way around all these, para naman pagdating ng halalan ay tayo’y nagkakaisa at maliwanag na maliwanag sa taong-bayan kung sino ba ang talagang ini-endorso natin, sino ba talaga ang ating hinaharap sa kanila upang sila’y, upang makapagserbisyo sa kanila.
So, that’s what we are trying to that’s what we have, that’s the process that we have begun— that we have begun today.
So, let us, allow us to bring all of these forces together. I am still of course, in my capacity as the head of the party, been talking to all of the other different parties and say, are you, ano ba’ng plano? What can we do? How can, are we working together? Are we not? Are you in opposition? Are you, or are you with the majority?
So, these are the, I don’t know why I’m even explaining this to you, you’re all very experienced politicians, I don’t need to, nauunawaan ninyo ito lahat, at naranasan na ninyo lahat ito.
So, but that’s, that is the, that’s how we are going to build it up and, so that the, I am, and the reason that we started, we are now May, the reason that we started now is that I would really like, if possible, na by filing in October maayos na.
Now, medyo suntok sa buwan ‘yan kasi laging may ibang, may ibang nangyayari, mayroong bagong development. But, never mind, will keep trying, so that in October, everybody, who is going to file, everybody who’s going to be a candidate knows how they will file, under what party, etcetera, etcetera, what the arrangements are with our partners, with our allies – the other parties that we will be talking.
So, that’s something that we will, that way, ‘pag naayos natin, kung maayos natin, by October kung maayos natin ang usapan natin, maganda tayong makapag plano from October to May para alam na alam na natin kung sino, kung ano ang gagawin natin.
So, that’s why we have to start as early as possible.
Syempre ‘no, like in anything in politics kung minsan nabibigla tayo, may nangyayari, may development na hindi nating inaasahan.
But, nonetheless kailangan may plano na tayo. Kailangang may plano tayo na, alam na natin ang gagawin. ‘Yung bawat isa na kandidato natin alam ang gagawin dun sa kanilang constituency, kung bayan man, kung probinsya man, kung meron tayong national candidate, alam ang gagawin at kung meron mang mangyari na hindi natin na-predict ay kaya nating gawan ng paraan kaagad, because we are very clear on what our plan is and what we are going to do.
So, that’s, so today, we will witness the beginning of that process. The beginning of that process wherein all of us are starting to consolidate our forces, so that our political forces, so that we can prepare ourselves properly for the next election.
And that, what that entails is, number one, that by October sana naman, maliwanag na, lahat na, kung sino ang PFP, kung sino ang ganito, kung sino ang Partido d’yan, kung sinong magkasama, kung sinong hindi.
And then because, importante sa akin yun, dahil kapag maayos yung, maliwanag kung sino ang line-up natin. And when I’m talking about national, I’m talking about provincial, I’m talking about municipal, or city.
Maliwanag na maliwanag sinong line-up natin. Sa ganun, makapag-plano tayong mabuti. Makagawa tayong magandang plano para maging successful naman yung ating mga miyembro.
And we’ll find a way to help each other. We will find a way to assess. Sa bawat lugar, sino ba talagang, ito, malakas ito walang ano, masyadong, may mga, marami sa inyo hindi naman kailangan ng tulong , masyadong malakas na. [laughs]
Hindi kayo naniniwala sa akin. [laughs] Kagaya yan ng sinasabi ko, sinasabi sa’kin dati nung nag-ASEAN kami, nagku-kwento kami ni ano, ni President Widodo at saka kasama ko si Prime Minister ng Japan.
Nag-uusap sila dahil may halalan sa Indonesia. Sabi ng Prime Minister ng Japan, sabi n’ya, “Well you are not running, so you don’t have to spend any money so it will be easier for you.” Nagtinginan kami kami ni President Widodo.
Sabi ko, yung last two terms ko sa governor sa Ilocos Norte, wala akong kalaban.
Pero syempre lahat ng kasama ko kailangan kong tulungan, lahat ng mayor ko kailangan kong tulungan. Tapos dagdag pa ron, sasabihin pa ng mga iba, wala ka namang ginagastos, akin na yung pera.
‘Diba so ganun pa rin, ganun pa rin ang gastos mo.
So there’s the no way around it. We still have to do it. We still have to do the work. We still have to fight hard. There is no easy election. That is something that I’ve learned.
So, that is why we have to very well organized, that we have to be in constant communication with one another so that we know what’s going on and at the very beginning, trabaho ito ng ating leadership ng ating partido ay magkaroon tayo ng magandang plano hindi lamang para sa national, kundi para sa lahat ng LGU, para lahat sa mga distrito ng mga Congressman na kasama natin, mayroon tayong gagawin, but also in coordination with all the other parties that we are going to be in partnership with.
So, that’s what we are doing now. And, I know that all of you would like for this one to succeed. And, again malakas din naman ang loob ko naman pagka dun na napunta tayo sa talagang kampanya na.
Uhaw pa rin ang tao para sa pagkakaisa, talagang sa aking palagay, hanggang ngayon ang tao ayaw na nila nag aaway, ayaw na nila ang walang nangyayari dahil puro pulitika na lang ang pinaglalaban puro, ganun ang aking naramdaman mula ng Mayo noong 2022 ay para sa akin, maliwanag na maliwanag ‘yan.
Kaya’t buoin natin ang ating grupo at laging nasa isip natin na ginagawa natin ito, syempre para makapag serbisyo nang mabuti sa taong bayan [applause], and that is the best way to do it [applause]
So, to the newly sworn in members to the PFP, welcome and I hope, and we will make sure that you will find a political home here in the Partido Federal [applause], and beyond that, let us work together, and let us continue to keep in mind that what is, the best way for us to serve our people is to come together and to work as one.
Maraming salamat. [applause]
Thank you very much.
—END—