(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, Feb. 22, defended Communications Secretary Martin Andanar’s attendance at a PDP-Laban sortie.
According to Duterte, Andanar, the son of Wencelito Andanar, a PDP-Laban stalwart, was exempted from the ban on government officials campaigning as he was an “ideologue” whose guidance was crucial.
“The law says they can campaign,” Duterte said.
He said he “did not allow the other members because they might, they will be campaigning if they want to and they will be using government cars, government fuel and I wanted to remove that kind of issue just to be fair.”
“I was not around. I was not an original member. So that’s the reason why I allowed him to go public,” Duterte said.
Andanar has admitted he was at the sortie in San Juan on Thursday, Feb. 21, as “proxy” to Duterte’s former aide Bong Go, who is running for a Senate seat.