Debacle of Alyansa bets in Mindanao blamed on move to impeach Duterte

National

THE poor showing of the “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” senatorial candidates in Mindanao was attributed to the filing of an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, according to the coalition’s campaign strategist.

Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, who headed the group’s campaign efforts, pointed out that the decision to push through with the impeachment significantly altered the political climate in Mindanao, costing their senatorial hopefuls critical support.

"We closely monitored Mindanao and saw the shift begin when the impeachment was filed," Tiangco said in an interview over dzBB per a report by Philstar. "Before the elections, we commissioned surveys in November and December, and the results reflected what was happening on the ground.”

He underscored a noticeable reversal in voting behavior in the region: “I have seen it clearly. If in the past, our candidates were getting votes from Mindanao, now no more. In the past, they chose candidates that they liked. Now, it changed. Their choice of candidates was whoever would not vote in favor of the impeachment.”

Tiangco emphasized that the damage suffered by their lineup was not externally caused but rather a consequence of internal political missteps. “The loss of the Alyansa senatorial candidates is self-inflicted. It should not have happened,” he remarked.

He further said, “Why would they blame something on me, something of their own doing? I know who are the people pinning the blame on me. They are those who persistently initiated the filing of the impeachment against the Vice President. Why did they push for the impeachment, in the first place? When they know that nothing will happen to that because the Senate will tackle it only on June 2.”

Tiangco also pointed out that certain local officials from Mindanao who were aligned with Alyansa deliberately distanced themselves from the campaign to avoid antagonizing the pro-Duterte voter base.

Additionally, he disclosed that some lawmakers reluctantly supported the impeachment out of concern that their budget requests would be sidelined.(Christine A. Ople, CTU-TC Intern)