Efforts to unite the opposition are over, Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Friday, adding that he and Vice President Leni Robredo are turning their full attention to winning in the 2022 elections.
It was presidential candidate Robredo who called the end to the unity talks after her supposed allies turned into rivals and filed candidacies for president, said Pangilinan, who is running as her vice president.
"When the talks bogged down and this is what the Vice President also said, tapos na. Tapos na 'yung unity talks. We now focus on winning it in May," Pangilinan told ANC.
Pangilinan said he was staying in the vice presidential race, taking back his earlier pronouncement that he was open to yielding his slot for the sake of a united opposition. Before he became Robredo's running mate, the husband of movie star Sharon Cuneta was preparing for a reelection campaign.
Robredo had unsuccessfully attempted to draft a single ticket wth Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
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Pangilinan said there was "purely spontaneous" support on the ground for his tandem with Robredo. "I was trying to figure out, ako ba ay sinagasaan ng 6x6 o ng dump truck? After a while na-realize ko ang sumasagasa pala sa akin ay 'yung ating mga kababayan na talagang tumatayo na at tumitindig... wala kaming inorganisa dito."
He also said it was too early to tell whether he and his uncle-in-law turned rival for the vice presidency, Senate President Tito Sotto, would compete for votes, benefitting the candidacy of Sen. Bong Go.
"In the end, marami pang mangyayari in terms of voter preference," he said.
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