Koko Pimentel: Was there ever unity in UniTeam?

Was there ever unity under President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s administration?

This was the question posed by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III when asked if he thinks Marcos' campaign promise of unity no longer exists because of the controversies surrounding Charter change.

"Obvious na wala na [ang] unity, but the question is: Nagka-unity ba sila ever? From the start?" Pimentel said in a text message to reporters.

(It is obvious that there's no unity. But the question is: Was there ever unity among them? From the start?)

Earlier in the day, key figures in the UniTeam coalition underscored the need to remain united in the face of apparent discord between the Marcos and Duterte families, vowing to do everything possible to save the alliance.

Senators Imee Marcos and Sherwin Gatchalian, who both won the 2022 senatorial race under the UniTeam ticket, separately promised to do everything they could to maintain unity in the coalition and among the country's political leaders.

Former Duterte spokesman Harry Roque, who ran for senator in 2022 under the UniTeam slate, highlighted the need to remain united to save the coalition and address the country's challenges. Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon, also a UniTeam senatorial candidate, similarly expressed support for the goal of the President's sister.

'Vibrant, still working'

At a news briefing in Vietnam, Marcos was asked if the UniTeam still existed.

"Uniteam is not just one or two or three parties. It's the unification of all the political forces to come together for the good of the country," Marcos said, adding that, "It is still there, still vibrant, still working, and we will continue to work on that basis."

Over the weekend, former President Rodrigo Duterte and his children attended a prayer rally in Davao City where he warned the Chief Executive of ouster and accused the latter of being a drug addict.

Senator Marcos and Vice President Duterte were also present at the prayer rally, which was held the same day as the Bagong Pilipinas kick-off rally led by the President himself.

Last January, Pimentel said that the "honeymoon period" of the President and the vice president was already over.

Pimentel said the face of Marcos' camp is House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who "obviously" has a sour relationship with Vice President Duterte.

With a campaign message centered on "unity," Marcos and Duterte emerged as the country’s top leaders after landslide victories in the 2022 national and local elections.

The relationship between Marcos and Duterte was tested in 2023, notably by the Chief Executive's stance on whether the current government should cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the alleged human rights abuses committed under the Duterte administration's bloody drug war.

Another contentious issue was the move of the Romualdez-led House of Representatives to strip the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd), which the vice president also heads as secretary, of their confidential funds in the 2024 national budget. — VDV, GMA Integrated News