LAKAS-CMD vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Friday night urged local candidates to work with the UniTeam and help attain its vision of peace, progress and development for the country.

The call was made by Duterte after attending the proclamation rallies of local candidates, allies and supporters of the UniTeam in San Andres Bukid and Tondo in Manila City.

The vice presidential candidate also called on Manila’s slate to work for the victory of the Marcos-Duterte tandem as well as its senatorial ticket and commit themselves to the realization of UniTeam’s programs of peace, progress and economic development for the country.

Likewise, Duterte reissued the UniTeam’s call for unity, its message of love and patriotism for the country during the successive rallies.

The proclamation rallies, similar activities of which other candidates have held also across the country, fired off the official start of the campaign period for local positions from congress down to the local level.

Duterte attended the proclamation rally of Manila mayoralty candidate Amado Bagatsing and his slate led by reelectionist Manila 5th District Rep. Cristal Bagatsing in San Andres Bukid, Manila and a similar activity of reelectionist Manila Rep. Manuel Luis “Manny” Lopez of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Duterte thanked Bagatsing and Lopez for giving her the opportunity to share UniTeam’s message of unity, hope and patriotism.

“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa mga taga-siyudad ng Maynila sa kanila pong pag-imbita sa amin na sumali sa proclamation rallies ng kanilang mga distrito at sana po ay suportahan nila ang UniTeam,” Duterte told reporters in an ambush interview in Tondo.

“Ang UniTeam po ni Bongbong Marcos at ni Sara Duterte ay tututukan ang pera sa bulsa, pagkain sa lamesa ng ating mga kababayan, at kailangan pong maibalik ang hanapbuhay at trabaho. Kailangan ring tiyakin ang mapayapang pamumuhay sa bahay,” Duterte said in her speech during the San Andres Bukid proclamation rally.

Manny Lopez said his team will work hard to ensure the victory of UniTeam that include Duterte and his running-mate, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. in Manila.

“Ngayon pa lang sinasabi na po namin sa inyo (Duterte) na dito sa dakilang bayan namin sa Tondo ay masisiguro po namin na kayo ay magwawagi,” Manny Lopez told the Tondo crowd as he asked his constituents to also support senatorial candidate Sal Panelo who accompanied Duterte along with UniTeam senatorial candidate Jinggoy Estrada.

“Mapalad tayo dahil sa inyong mainit na pagtanggap, dalawang beses na tayong binisita ni Mayor Inday Sara dahil ipinakita ninyo at ipinamalas ninyo kung papaano n’yo siya (Duterte)minahal at hindi tayo magtatapos dito, sa Mayo a nuwebe, huwag n’yo pong kakalimutan si Inday Sara Duterte,” Lopez said as he recalled that then presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte campaigned in Tondo six years ago.

But Duterte clarified she is not endorsing any mayoral candidate, explaning that Bagatsing and Manila mayoral bet Alex Lopez are both her friends.

“Sa ngayon wala endorsing a mayoral candidate po, kaibigan po natin si Mayor Bagatsing at si Mayor Alex Lopez. Mga kaibigan po silang lahat,” Duterte said.

“We are giving Mayor Sara our unconditional support. So we just want to help her win and we invited her tonight (Friday) in our proclamation rally,” Bagatsing told reporters in an ambush interview.

“Nakakataba ng puso na makita ang ating mga kababayan at punong-puno sila ng pag-asa na magkakaroon tayo ng isang bagong bukas, panibagong laban, at mas maginhawang buhay,” Bagatsing added.

UniTeam senatorial candidates Rodante Marcoleta and Larry Gadon joined the Bagatsing team’s proclamation rally.

Senatorial candidate former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar also attended the event in San Andres Bukid.

The PDP-Laban is supporting the vice presidential bid of Duterte and the presidential candidacy of her tandem, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).