Former President GMA joins PDP-Laban of Duterte

Barely a week giving  an unsolicited encouragement for the incumbent president, another move made a ripple in the political landscape of the country.

Former president and now Pampanga 2nd district representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA)  said she’s done worse, rating wise ,compared to the incumbent president. This was after the recent SWS survey conducted from September 23-27, 2017 saw the net satisfaction of  President Duterte dropped to a ‘good” 48 from a “very good” 66.

"During my term, I too suffered even more serious problems with my ratings, precipitated by the same kind of vicious opposition now working to bring down President Duterte," GMA said in a statement.  *

Former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Representative Arthur Yap take their oath as PDP members before Speaker Pantaleion Alvarez (photo credit RG Cruz of ABSCBN News)

Yesterday, the Former president and now Pampanga 2nd district representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has formally joined the administration party PDP-Laban of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

GMA, who is on her last term as the representative of the 2nd district of Pampanga, took her oath Wednesday before the party's secretary-general, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

“My joining the PDP-Laban is to consolidate support for the President. It is a matter of course as we have been talking about this for quite sometime,” GMA said in a statement.

Aside from GMA, Bohol Representative Arturo Yap, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority administrator Raul Lambino, Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo, and Agrarian Reform Sec. Nasser Pangandaman also took their oath as members of the political party of President Rodrigo Duterte. 

PDP-Laban President, Senate President Koko Pimentel, said the party is set to vet and choose their official candidates for the May 2019 national and local elections soon.  The senate president said the administration party will stop accepting new members by the end of November this year so that they will have more time to study their options as a party.

"By stopping recruitment, we will have time to indoctrinate and train our members, screen possible candidates, and absorb our new members into our grassroots infrastructure,"  Pimentel said. *

For the upcoming 2019 elections, PDP-Laban is considering House Speaker Alvarez to be the administration’s campaign manager, which the House speaker reportledly will accept.

Pimentel earlier floated some names for the possible senatorial slate, which include him and lawmakers Rodolfo Fariñas, Geraldine Roman, Karlo Nograles, and Albee Benitez.

Alvarez, however, said the list is not yet final after Fariñas declined to be included in the list.

 

Report from abs-cbn website