Thread by @PhilippineStar

Party officials in Aksyon Demokratiko claim that support for Isko Moreno (in the event he withdraws) would be in favor of Bongbong Marcos/Sara Duterte's candidacy. Party deny claims Moreno is Duterte's candidate/supporter of dictator Marcos. #BilangPilipino2022 | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab Speaking to ANC Headstart, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, longtime Liberal Party member who jumped to Aksyon, cited internal survey analysis that should Moreno give way to Robredo, his votes would only go in favor of Marcos/Duterte. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab But Erice, who spoke critically of the Liberal Party's leadership under Robredo, said if the vice president withdraws, Robredo’s votes would go to Moreno, which means the Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer stands to gain if Robredo backs out. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab Aksyon chair Ernest Ramel confirmed the internal study, claimed that this was the reason VP Robredo pushed for a tandem between Moreno and another presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao during the unity talks that later bogged down. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab “I could confirm that the Vice President is pushing for Isko-Pacquiao tandem. That’s why she thought Mayor Isko has the best chance of winning against a Duterte or Marcos candidate, or both,” Ramel says. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab “That’s what the internal surveys show. I could not really confirm but, I think the camp of the Vice President is aware of this, that’s why she is pushing for Isko-Pacquiao,” he adds. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab Robredo's presidential candidacy apparently irked Moreno because he thought he was Robredo's presidential bet. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab This also explains why Moreno reacted that way about Robredo last week, when he called her a "fake leader" running just to prevent the Marcoses’ return in Malacañang. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab Moreno last week also scored Robredo’s supporters for calling on him to withdraw and branded them “yellowtards,” an offensive term for the liberals even though he had vowed to be a “healing president” open to listening to all sides. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab Moreno reacted strongly to a brief statement from Robredo, who said talks with Moreno fell through because of the mayor’s stance about the Marcoses. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab Moreno in previous interviews said he admired Ferdinand Marcos’ “vision” but not the human rights abuses during the dictatorship. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab “Even when VP Robredo’s comment was just short, she still said as much - that the mayor’s stance about Marcos pushed her to run..."

@mjaysoncayabyab "...That’s wrong, Mayor Isko is for the rule of law, and that the abuses during the dictatorship should not happen again,” Aksyon chair Ramel says. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab Three party officials confirmed that Moreno was “offended” by the call from Robredo’s supporters to give way when it was the vice president who had wanted him to run in tandem with Pacquiao. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab “Moreno really took offense at calls for him to withdraw when he was being paired with Manny Pacquiao - Moreno for President, Manny for VP. She was pushing for that. All of a sudden, she wants to run," campaign manager Lito Banayo quoted as saying in ANC. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab “How can you say you are running for president when in fact she was pushing for an Isko Moreno candidacy for president. Was she being sly about it? I don’t know,” Aksyon chair Ramel adds. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab "(Moreno) feels betrayed. He's working hard with VP Leni...and then trolls are calling him Duterte's secret candidate, and that his true colors were exposed," Erice says. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab Erice, who campaigned for the Liberal Party/Otso Diretso in 2016/2019, says VP Robredo was being “intellectually dishonest” for pushing the unification talks with a plan to join the presidential derby at the back of her mind. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab With the apparent squabble between two out in public, the party officials said they are not discounting of a possible unification talks. But the unity talks would not revolve around them being a tandem anymore, Ramel says. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab After all, a lot can still happen until Nov. 15 substitution period, party officials say. "If we want to solve the country's problems, both Mayor Isko/VP Leni should be open. Nov. 15 is still a long way to go, things can still change," Erice says. | @mjaysoncayabyab

@mjaysoncayabyab Erice, who was recently appointed Aksyon Demokratiko Metro Manila chair, adds: “I think there’s a chance for unification. Both Mayor Isko and Vice President Leni should be open." | @mjaysoncayabyab

But for party chair Ramel, talks should no longer be limited to candidates getting substituted/sliding down. “We can still talk even beyond the Nov. 15. The lines are still open. I don’t want to speak of any tandem. That’s not the basis of unity should be." | @mjaysoncayabyab