MANILA (UPDATED) — The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) on Monday denied that its leader, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, orchestrated the looming tandem between former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for President and Vice-President in the 2022 elections.

In a statement issued following allegations that Arroyo was the “puppeteer” who allegedly “sold off” Duterte to Marcos, Lakas-CMD said Arroyo was not behind Duterte running for vice-president. Lakas-CMD also denied that the 2 women met in the resort island of Balesin with Marcos Jr. as alleged in some social media posts and in chat groups.

“The idea of her running as Vice President did not originate from former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. There was no meeting, planned or cancelled, between former President Arroyo and Mayor Duterte in Balesin. There was no summons for former Senator Bongbong Marcos to go to Balesin.”

Lakas-CMD maintained it has always supported Duterte-Carpio in her aspirations.

“As earlier stated by party President [Ferdinand Martin] Romualdez, LAKAS-CMD is elated with Sara joining Lakas because of her sterling qualities as a leader and we saw up close her exemplary work ethic as chief executive of Davao City," the party said.

Romualdez is a first cousin of Marcos Jr. and a close ally of Arroyo.

Duterte-Carpio has been widely credited for Arroyo’s House speakership in 2018. In 2019, Lakas-CMD was among the allies of her Hugpong ng Pagbabago in their campaign for the administration candidates of that election.

Lakas-CMD was also among the first to throw support for the possibility of Duterte-Carpio running for President until she ultimately decided to join the party and run for Vice-President.

Romualdez last week maintained that the 2 women have become close friends, with Arroyo acting as an advisor to the younger Duterte.

This as relations between father and daughter appeared to have chilled recently, with Duterte-Carpio calling out her father President Duterte and his aide Senator Bong Go for dragging her into the intramurals of the PDP Laban.

Duterte-Carpio also bared that her father gave her 2 letters which essentially asked her to either endorse the tandem of Go and her father for President and Vice President or for the younger Duterte to run for President with Go as her vice-president.

She declined to run for President, citing her agreement with the President that only one of them should run for national office. But her father appeared to have freed her from that agreement when he did not file for Vice-President despite the nomination of the PDP Laban.

Duterte-Carpio is now gunning for the same post Arroyo herself once held. Arroyo ran and won as Vice-President in 1998, before succeeding Joseph Estrada at the height of the 2001 People Power 2.

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