PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday said senatorial candidates of the administration’s
“Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” slate are backed by “real people,” unlike other aspirants whom he said have “keyboard warriors” as supporters.
In his vlog uploaded yesterday afternoon, the President said: “Isa sa mga kinatutuwa ko sa mga rally na pinupuntahan namin ay nakikita ko mismo ‘yung mga sumusuporta sa atin. Sila ay tunay na mga tao, tunay na Pinoy at hindi lang ito mga keyboard warriors o troll, mga totoong tao po sila (One of the things that I like about joining the campaign sorties is that I see the people who are supporting us. They are the real people, real Filipinos. They are not keyboard warriors or trolls, but real people.”
He did not mention names, but various sectors have slammed supporters of senatorial candidates being backed by former President Rodrigo Duterte of using social media “trolls,” or the so–called keyboard warriors, to engage in negative campaigning and spread disinformation about the government and other senatorial candidates.
Marcos said he takes advantage of the campaign sorties to interact with the people on the ground and find out their sentiments and problems so he can have a better understanding of their conditions.
He said he uses the inputs as guide in crafting policies to improve the condition of the Filipino people.
In the same vlog, the President urged the public to be discerning when listening to lies or fake news, which he said are widespread during the campaign period to convince voters to support certain candidates.
“Kakambal ng kampanya ay ang mga intriga at batuhan ng putik na tinatawag na fake news. Kaliwa’t kanan na rin yan kaya dapat maingat tayo. Sabi nga natin, ang Bagong Pilipino ay marunong kumilatis sa tama at maling impormasyon. Ngayon ay nagkalat na naman ng fake news at disinformation. Dapat extra ingat po tyao sa mga nababasa natin online
(Intrigues and mud-slinging, which we call fake news, are part of campaigning. They’re everywhere. That’s why we need to be careful. I believe that the new breed of Filipinos know how to identify real information from disinformation that’s why they are now looking for fake new and disinformation. We should be extra careful especially with what we read online),” he said.
Alyansa spokesperson Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said there will be no let-up in campaigning for the administration’s senatorial candidates even if eight of them dominated the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
“These numbers are encouraging, but we are not letting our guard down,” Tiangco said. “The real survey happens on Election Day. We will continue working hard, meeting voters face-to-face, and ensuring that every Filipino understands the importance of electing a Senate that will work with the administration in delivering real results.”
Tiangco said the latest survey results “are a reflection of strong public confidence in the administration coalition slate and its vision for stability, progress and continuity.”
“This momentum is a testament to the strong backing of Filipinos who want leaders focused on governance, not political drama,” said the lawmaker, who earlier vowed to avoid negative campaigning.
The Alyansa ticket is composed of reelectionist Senators Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Pia Cayetano and Francis Tolentino; former senators Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao; Rep. Erwin Tulfo (PL, ACT-CIS), and Las Piñas City Rep. Camille Villar, Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay, and former Interior Secretary and Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos.
The SWS survey, conducted from February 15 to 19 or just before the national campaign period officially started, showed Erwin Tulfo leading the senatorial race with 45 percent voter preference, while Lapid was at third place with 36 percent.
While Sotto went down from second to the fourth to fifth spot as his rating dropped from 38 percent in January to 34 percent in February, Revilla shot up to sixth to seventh place from 11th to 13th place in January, drawing a 33 percent support.
The other administration-backed candidates in the top 12 are Cayetano (33 percent), Lacson (32 percent), Pacquiao (30 percent), and Binay (30 percent).
Tiango said the Alyansa, which is set to visit Camarines Sur on Friday, will intensify its campaign in key provinces, “ensuring that Filipinos in both urban centers and far-flung areas have direct access to the candidates and their platforms.”
“Alyansa is committed to a Senate that supports economic development, job creation, and social services. We will keep going where the people are, listening to their concerns, and showing them that our candidates are prepared to work for them,” Tiangco said. “We are pushing forward with even greater energy and determination. The trust of the people is our greatest motivation, and Alyansa will not let them down.”
Also yesterday, Pacquiao visited Batangas, where he drew thousands of supporters from different towns as he met with barangay officials, functionaries, and local leaders.
Pacquiao’s first stop was in Nasugbu where he met with Sen. Loren Legarda, local leaders and 61 barangay officials. He then met with officials from 95 barangays from the town of Balayan, Calatagan and Tuy.
The dialogue focused on community development, livelihood programs and local infrastructure as he spelled out his platform of empowering local government units. – With Wendell Vigilia
