Thank you, Sec. Anton. [Please sit down.]

We are joined here of course – you’ll have to excuse me. Medyo, I have to, I just — we just came together with DILG Secretary Abalos, we just came from the conference on anti-OSAEC at saka, OSAEC is [Online] Sexual Exploitation of Children. Kaya’t medyo mabigat — mabigat pa ang isip namin ngayon as we come here.

But, anyway that’s beside the point. I’m just explaining why I might not be my usual combative self as I usually appear before you. The PFP — the PFP President, Governor Jun Tamayo; Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos; Ilocos Norte 1st District Congressman Sandro and the other members of the House of Representatives; the governors that are here today; all of the other officials that have come to this convention; ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

I’m very glad that we can see that there is progress that is happening as we move on in preparation for — well, filing is our next big event. And, we have now within the PFP organized ourselves properly so that we can already look at not only the personalities who are going to be involved, the personalities who are going to be candidates but also those who are going to run the campaign.

Dahil alam niyo naman hindi naman ‘yung — kandidato lamang kahit na kahit saan, kahit anong kandidato kailangan may support group. Kaya’t ito ‘yung gagawin ng PFP para sa ating mga kandidato in all the different ways, in the ways that are needed for all of you to succeed. Kaya’t ‘yun ang ating — hindi lamang ‘yun kung hindi ‘yang support group na nga ay nabubuo na natin dahil ‘yung leadership and the assignments of the different areas that need to be attended to are now at least have filled.

So, we can now carry on with the actual nuts and bolts of our campaign na iniisip na natin, papaano tayo gagawa. Hindi maliit na bagay ang mag-schedule tayo and how we will do the scheduling. It becomes a little bit more involved dahil hindi lang ang PFP ang gumagalaw.

Kasama tayo, although we are the lead party, kasama tayo sa Alyansa at nakasama ang iba’t ibang partido. Lahat ng malalaking partido sa Pilipinas ay kasama ngayon natin. Kaya’t we have to do all of this in conjunction with them. But we have to already be ready dahil ang naka-schedule yata 26 of September will be the convention of all of the party members of the Alyansa. Hindi na ang mga different parties, lahat na ng partido nandoon na where we will be deciding many of the issues that still outstanding, where we will be finally come into terms with the differences in terms of approach of the different parties.

I do not think hindi naman siguro magiging masyadong mahirap. Siyempre ganoon din ‘yung — lagi naman nangyayari sa atin ‘yan lalo na kapagka lahat tayo ay nagkakasama, magkakabanggaan nang kaunti dahil may kandidato ‘yung kabilang partido, may kan… So, iyon ang mga kailangan natin ayusin. At sa palagay ko naman kaya naman nating ayusin.

Although siyempre may — ako lagi kong sinasabi kung wala kang magawa baka mag-free zone ka pero hangga’t maaari ayaw kong mag-free zone dahil mas magiging magulo pagka ganoon. Mas maganda sana kung maayos ang ating eleksyon, mas maayos ang kampanya, maayos ‘yung eleksyon. Pero alam naman natin ‘pag nagsimula na ‘yan, wala na bakbakan na ‘yan. It’s not something that we can control completely.

But what can control are the things, the elements that are needed by our party members. That is why we have had this meeting today para mabuo na natin ang leadership ng partido, para pwede nang humarap sa leadership ng iba’t ibang partido.

We will now start to be talking about things like scheduling, the logistics, how do we move people, where do we go. Kami where do I go, for example, saan ang — kasi mayroon tayong — siyempre mayroon tayong senatorial lineup din. Saan ko sila dadalhin. Saan din ‘yung mga lokal na nangangailangan ng tulong na pwede kong puntahan. Dahil mayroon siyempre mga kasama natin na sinasabi natin ‘yung lugar nila hindi talaga tayo maaaring matalo diyan. Mayroon naman ‘yung mga ibang lugar, wala na sure bet na ‘yun walang kalaban. So, okay na siya.

Pero iba’t iba ‘yan. Kaya’t kailangan natin pag-decide-an na ‘yan. So that’s not simple. So we have to have the logistics and we have to have the scheduling and we have to also look forward to how to do the secreta — we will have a secretariat to coordinate all of these things. Then there’s even — kailangan na rin pag-usapan dahil alam naman natin walang tatakbo rito kung hindi tayo maglagay ng tapat na budget. Kaya’t gumawa na tayo ng ating mga pangangailangan, that’s what the leadership of the party is going to do at… Siguro it’s about time dahil ang balita ko handa na raw mag-release ng limpak-limpak na salapi si Mr. Anton Lagdameo kaya… [applause]

Ikaw kasi hingi ka nang hingi ng pera, sabi ko “sige, ikaw mag-release.” So anyway but iyon ang mga basic things na kailangan na nating gawin at parating na itong halalan. We have to be — alam naman natin itong halalan na ito ay hindi ito business as usual dahil ang daming — ang daming panibago… I don’t need to explain all of these things to you puro kayo mga hasang-hasa na politiko. Iyong mga bagay kagaya ng social media, kagaya ng mga pangyayari sa political development, ‘yung mga nangyayari nakikita natin na mga report, lahat ‘yan. Mabilis ngayon ang galaw hindi kagaya ng dati na kung ano ‘yung kampanya mo, iyon ang plinano mo, ‘yun ang gagawin ninyo. Pero as the…

Sa ngayon iba. Kahit na nagsimula na ‘yung kampanya at palapit na ‘yung eleksyon, kailangan naga-adjust-adjust pa rin tayo dahil mabilis gumalaw, mabilis magbago. Kaya’t kailangan ang organization natin ay maayos para makapag-respond tayo nang mabuti.

So, ipagpatuloy natin ‘yang ganyang klaseng organization. Let’s get now down to details as we can without remembering… No, let’s get down to as much detail as we can but always remembering that we are doing this in consonance with other parties who have their own interest, who have their own… So, siyempre may bigayan ‘yan.

But mayroon siyempre PFP, we ourselves, we will stand by our members siyempre at iyan ang ating [applause] lagi namang binabanggit.

There are many approaches to do this and we think that… But the 26 will not be the first time naman — hindi naman first time na nakipag-usap tayo sa ibang partido. We are actually discussing all of these issues with them everyday.

So, to a great extent we will be able to come to an agreement for all of these issues relatively easily I think, relatively easily. Not that it would be easy but relatively easy palagay ko magiging mas maayos.

But nonetheless, we still have to be very well-organized. A lot of — every campaign depends on how well-organized the campaign is. Kahit na magaling ang kandidato mo, kahit na handa kang gumastos nang malaki, kahit na maganda ang survey mo, ‘pag hindi naging maayos ang kampanya mo, wala ring mangyayari.

Marami tayong nakikita na ganyan na nag-complacent, na pa-relax-relax, “wala naman akong talo,” tapos natalo na nga. Hindi natin pababayaan na mangyari ‘yan sa any of our members [applause] and for that matter, for any of those na naging kasamahan na natin dahil sa Alyansa. We have to be sincere about the alyansa, the alliance that we are creating with the other parties. Kailangan sincere din tayo. Siyempre tutulungan din natin sila at magtutulungan talaga tayo. And that’s really the best way kasi may synergy ‘yan.

Kapag naging maayos ang usapan natin together with the other parties, mas magiging maliwanag ang eleksyon even down to the municipal level. I think that the biggest problems will probably — it’s always the same, pareho lang naman. Pareho mang tao, parehong gustong tumakbo. Sabihin natin PFP, iyong isa nasa Lakas, nasa NPC. Parehong gustong mag-mayor, parehong gustong mag-congressman. Iyon, iyon ang mga kailangan natin ayusin.

Pero hindi masyadong marami ‘yung ganoon. Parang less ngayon kaysa dati kasi matibay ang Partido. Naging matibay ang partido kaya nagkaganyan. [applause]

So, let’s always keep that in mind. Let us organize ourselves in the best — as best as we know how. But always keep in mind that we are — we have to work with other big groups who also have their own interest and we have to make allowances for them as they will be making allowances for us.

So, let us continue with this. I think we are on a good road. I think we have done politically anyway. I think that much has already been done. We have made a great deal of progress in terms of the politics of the upcoming campaign and election.

‘Yun lang ang kaila — kaya’t kailangan na ngayon ‘yung politika — medyo nakikita naman natin na may trend na nang kaunti at pwede pa nating tulungan ‘yan. Pwede pa nating i-endorse ‘yan at i-promote ’yan. Kaya naman para magawa natin ‘yun ay kailangan para mapagsamantalahan natin ang kung anuman ang mga advantage natin magamit natin nang mabuti ay kailangan maayos ang patakbo ng kampanya natin.

And that’s why we have to be very, very clear within the party who is what, who does what, what is expected of the party by our candidates.

Kasama ‘yan kasi hindi naman — hindi naman sasabihin ng PFP ito ang kailangan… Kayo ang gusto naming ikampanya at ipanalo kaya’t titingnan natin kung ano ‘yung mga pangangailangan ninyo.

So, let us continue with this organization. I hope that the next time we meet, mayroon na tayong committees. We already have — huwag lang natin i-overburden because we will have… Gov. Jun, mayroon din tayong gagawin mga sectoral committees together with the other parties over the whole Alyansa.

So, kailangan adjustable tayo nang kaunti na ‘pag dumating ang araw, sasabihin: “Okay, may finance committee ang Lakas,” sasabihin natin. Paano natin ipagsasama together with the… Ang thinking ko siguro, if it concerns our party, it concerns our partymates, tayo ang mamamahala when it comes to that. And the same with Lakas, the same with NPC, NUP, with NP, lahat ng ibang partido na kasama natin ngayon.

Kaya’t — we will — let us decide on those issues, on how to handle those issues. But always keep the party as the lead — the PFP is the lead party in this campaign and in this election. The PFP will — remain the central, the central force in the political aggrupation that we are creating together with all of the other parties that we have come into agreement with. [applause]

At ‘yan ang ating mga pinaplano. Gawin natin nang maganda ito. As I said, lahat naman kayo mga highly-experienced politicians kaya’t we will be — we have a wealth of very good people here who have run and won many elections. So between us, siguro naman malalaman natin kung papaano ‘yung pinakamagandang approach para dito sa halalan. Hindi naman nagbabago na masyado ‘yan. Ang magbabago lang siguro papaano ngayong pagka ‘yung alliances kasi hindi lang tayo nag-iisang nakatayo.

Kaya’t ‘yun lang at patuloy nating gagawin ito. At I hope… When will be the next time that we can assemble again? Para mayroon na tayong organization, mayroon na tayong secretariat na mamamahala para sa ating mga kandidato at para to — masabi na natin sa kanila, saan kayo tatakbo pagka may problemang ganito, saan kayo kung may scheduling problem, kung may logistics problem, kung may budget, whatever. Dapat alam na nila kung sino ang pupuntahan nila. So, that’s the next step para maging ano na, maging functioning na ang partido natin specifically for the ‘25 election.

So, we are making good progress and as I said ‘yung ating mga kasamahan sa Alyansa, we are also making good progress. We have always been in touch with all of them. The different parties really have made very clear what are their concerns, what are their requirements, what do they want to do. We have made the same thing clear also to them that ito ‘yung pangangailangan ng partido, ito ‘yung kaya namin, we can take it on. These are the things that PFP can be in charge of. These are the things that we cannot take care, we need help with this, et cetera, et cetera. ‘Yun ang mga aayusin natin.

‘Yun na ngayon ang magiging — halos briefing na ‘yan the next time na magsasabi. Ganito, ida-drawing namin kung ano na ‘yung structure, as I said: where will be the different functions of the campaign be, who will be in charge of them, how do you engage them, how do you get in touch with them, what you can expect them to do for you, and all of those details that come out of that discussion.

So, congratulations to those who have been elected and chosen as leaders of the different — of the different positions in the party, and the different regions, rather, regional ang ating ginawa. Different regions of the party – at the different levels, and I think we just keep up the good work and I think we will be successful. [applause]

Kaya’t patuloy lang natin ang…. Alam naman natin ‘yan, ang kampanya, especially at the local level, ano ito talagang sipag at tiyaga. Talaga dapat ‘yung — ang rule ko sa sarili ko pagka nangangampanya kami is — natuto ko ito sa ama ko, ang sabi niya kailangan lagi kang ka — malapit nang magkasakit, pero hindi ka dapat magkasakit dahil sayang ‘yung ilang araw na may sakit ka. You cannot afford one or two days na hindi nangangampanya. So, kailangang perfect lang ‘yung balance na makukuha natin. ‘Yun ang gagawin natin para sa inyong lahat.

Maraming salamat, good afternoon! [applause]

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