MANILA - Vice presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said Wednesday that the use of the Philippine Arena in Bulacan for the BBM-Sara UniTeam proclamation rally does not mean they were being endorsed by the venue's owners, the Iglesia ni Cristo.

Duterte-Carpio made the remark at the ribbon cutting of the People's Reform Party campaign headquarters for her vice presidential bid in Quezon City.

Vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio and PRP President Narciso 'Jun' Santiago Jr. at the ribbon cutting of its QC headquarters for the Davao City mayor's bid. PRP adopted Duterte-Carpio as its vice presidential candidate. pic.twitter.com/Cadnrw6Q8p

— Mico Abarro (@AbarroMico) February 9, 2022

"The use of the Philippine Arena was a commercial contract between the organizers and the Philippine Arena,. So it's not an INC endorsement," she said.

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Vic Rodriguez, spokesman of presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., also denied earlier in the day that the INC was endorsing the UniTeam.

"Mahirap natin pangunahan ang pamunuan ng Iglesia ni Cristo. Kami ay nagpapasalamat sa management ng Philippine Arena for allowing us the use of their venue yesterday. Pero hanggang doon lang yun," Rodriguez told ANC'S Headstart.

(It is hard to assume the decision of the Iglesia ni Cristo. We are thankful to the management of the Philippine Arena for allowing us to use their venue yesterday but that is all it is.)

The Iglesia ni Cristo has yet to endorse any presidential and vice presidential candidate for the elections in May. In 2016, it backed President Rodrigo Duterte and Marcos' candidacies..

• READ: INC endorses Duterte, Marcos

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