Press Release
October 19, 2015

I'm willing to take bigger risk of running for VP to do more for our people-Sen. Marcos

Rather than opting for the relative safety of re-election in the Senate, Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. today said he is putting his political career on the line in running for Vice President in the 2016 elections because it is where he feels he could do more to help our people.

Appearing in ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda", Marcos acknowledged that unlike three fellow senators who are vying for the post of Vice President, he has no fall back position of returning to the Senate if he loses.

An incumbent senator who runs for higher office in the middle of his six-year term and loses in the election simply returns to his Senate seat. Marcos, who won as senator in the 2010 elections, would complete his first term as senator in 2016.

"That is right, some of the candidates (for Vice President) can simply return to their (Senate) post if they don't win. That does not apply in my case. That is why I have to be successful if I want to continue my service to our people," Marcos said.

While there was an impression the Vice President is a mere "spare tire" of the President, Marcos said it is no longer true.

"We used to vote for the President and Vice President together. But when the constitution mandated a separate vote for the two positions I believe it expanded the role of the Vice President. Now the Vice President can do a lot more," Marcos said.

Earlier, Marcos said that if elected Vice President he would be a team player and work with whoever is elected President to usher national unity and address pressing problems such as the drug menace, rising prices, criminality and lack of jobs, among others.

"I think the position of Vice President will provide me with the opportunity to continue my own brand of public service, so I think I made the right decision," said Marcos.

According to Marcos, it was this desire to do more to provide a better life for our people that prompted him to risk his entire political career and run for Vice President instead of the safer option of seeking a re-election in the Senate.

A survey conducted by a newspaper on the preference of voters for senatorial candidates in the 2016 polls ranked Sen. Marcos in 3rd to 4th place, tied with come backing senator Panfilo Lacson, with re-electionist Sen. Vicente Sotto on top place and Sen. Ralph Recto in second place.

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