Presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte welcomed the endorsement of the religious group Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) on Tuesday.
During the UniTeam Miting de Avance in Guimbal, Iloilo, Marcos assured the religious group that their endorsement will result in unity among Filipinos.
“Sisikapin po namin na ang tiwalang ipinagkaloob niyo sa aming tambalan ay magbubunga ng tunay na pagkakaisa ng mga Pilipinong nagmamahal sa Pilipinas at walang alinlangan na sama-samang haharap sa mga pagsubok na daraan sa paghanda ng magandang bukas para sa ating mga kabataan,” Marcos said.
Meanwhile, Duterte said it was both an honor to receive INC’s endorsement and a challenge to fulfill their promise of unifying the country post-pandemic.
“Ang pagpili sa amin ni Apo Bongbong Marcos bilang mga kandidato na inyong sinusuportahan sa pagka-presidente at bise presidente sa darating na halalan ay isang malaking karangalan na may kaakibat na hamong nakatuon sa aming kakayahang mapag-isa ang bansa, mapagbuklod ang mga Pilipino at maitawid ang sambayanan sa crisis na dulot ng pandemya.” She said.
The group announced its formal endorsement for the tandem during the “Mata ng Agila” news program over Net 25.
INC is known for practicing bloc voting and has about 2.5 million members worldwide.
In 2016, INC also endorsed Marcos’ vice presidential bid and President Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential bid.
In a statement, Marcos’ spokesperson and chief of staff Vic Rodriguez expressed gratitude to INC.
“We will value the support you have given to us just like the support of the majority of our fellow Filipinos. This kind of trust will serve as a guide to presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos and vice presidential leader Inday Sara Duterte in leading our nation should they win in the upcoming elections on May 9,” Rodriguez said.
This week, INC is expected to distribute sample ballots displaying the Marcos-Duterte pair and their senatorial slate: Jojo Binay, Alan Peter Cayetano, JV Ejercito, Guillermo Eleazar, Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Sherwin Gatchalian, Loren Legarda, Robin Padilla, Joel Villanueva, Mark Villar, and Miguel Zubiri.
Photo Credit: Facebook/BongbongMarcos