MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Wednesday his political party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), is starting to ‘consolidate forces’ in preparation for the 2025 midterm elections.

Speaking at the oath-taking of new members of the PFP in Pasay City, Marcos said that as chair of his party, he is already meeting with other key national parties to forge alliances for the elections.

‘In my capacity as the head of the party, I’ve been talking to all of the other different parties and say, ‘Ano bang plano? (What is our plan?) What can we do? Are we working together? Are we not? Are you in the opposition? Or are you with the majority?” he said.

Marcos, currently the PFP chair, said he wants PFP to prepare as early as now to allow them to properly plan their steps, from the filing of candidacy in October up to the official election season next year.

‘Today, we are witnesses to the beginning of that process. The beginning of that process wherein all of us are starting to consolidate our forces
, our political forces, so that we can prepare ourselves properly for the next election,’ he said.

About 33 political figures, including 11 governors and 14 vice governors, took their oath before Marcos as new members of the PFP.

PFP National President, South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., meanwhile, said they are currently in talks with three other national parties for possible alliances and coalition ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.

‘Meron na tayong tatlong national party, meron for alliance at merong for coalition. ‘Yung isa sa tinitignan namin ngayon ay yung isang national party na magme-merge talaga sa Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. Kapag sinabi mong merge, talagang pag-iisahin na (We are now in talks with three other national parties to establish alliances and coalition. One of the parties that we are in talks with is a national party that will merge with the Federal Party of the Philippines. When you say merge, it means to be merged as one),’ Tamayo told reporters in an interview on the s
idelines of the oath-taking event.

He, however, did not identify the parties.

When asked if it includes the political party of Vice President Sara Duterte, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), Tamayo answered in the negative.

However, he noted that PFP remains open to partnering with HNP again.

Marcos and Duterte ran and won convincingly in the 2022 presidential elections behind the coalition that includes PFP and HNP.

‘Nagkaroon tayo ng alliance before noong 2022, that is for 2022 election. Ibig sabihin nagkaroon tayo ng alliance for a common cause for 2022 elections. Right after 2022 election nagkaroon ng tinatawag natin na tapos na yung aliance, magbi-build up ulit tayo ng bagong alliance for 2025 or for another cause (We had an alliance before for a common cause, that was for the 2022 elections. After the 2022 polls, the alliance ended. Now, we will be building an alliance yet again, this time for the 2025 elections or for another cause),” he said.

‘Tinitingnan natin, kung gusto talaga ng Hugpong na magroon
ng alliance. Titignan natin both sides kung ano kailangan natin para magkaroon ng common cause. ‘Pag magkaroon ng common cause, ito ang dapat napag-agreehan, ito ang direksyon na dapat meron tayo ay dun masasabi na kailangan natin maging allied ngayon 2025 elections (We are looking if Hugpong really wants to have an alliance. We will look at both sides, what we need to have a common cause. When there is a common cause, this is what must be agreed upon, this is the direction we must have, then it can be said that we need to be allies now in the 2025 elections).’

Source: Philippines News Agency