THE senatorial candidates of the administration’s “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” will take advantage of the upcoming local campaign for the midterm elections by holding sorties with coalition allies who are seeking local posts, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said over the weekend.
“Since mag-start na ‘yung local campaign, kanina we are discussing it with our candidates at marami po silang imbitasyon sa local rally. Siyempre kung ka-Alyansa nila ‘yun (Since the local campaign is about to start, we discussed it earlier with our candidates and they have many invitations to attend local rallies. Of course, if those local candidates are allies) they will have to fit it in to their schedule,” said Tiangco, the ticket’s campaign manager, told a pre-campaign rally press conference in Sta. Rosa, Laguna on Saturday.
The official 45-day campaign period for congressional bets and candidates for other local posts will begin on March 28 and will end on May 10.
All candidates are not allowed to campaign on April 17 (Maundy Thursday), April 18 (Good Friday), May 11 (eve of Election Day), and May 12 (Election Day).
Tiangco said the coalition will meet and discuss the matter before March 28 to ensure that the administration ticket can balance national sorties with local engagements.
He said it would be a wasted opportunity if Alyansa’s candidates do not take advantage of their local allies since they can greatly help in explaining to the public their platforms.
The members of the administration’s senatorial slate are reelectionist Senators Lito Lapid, Francis Tolentino, Pia Cayetano, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and presidential sister Imee Marcos; former senators Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao; Reps. Erwin Tulfo (PL, ACT-CIS) and Camille Villar of Las Piñas City; Makati City mayor Abigail Binay, and former Interior Secretary and Mandaluyong City mayor Benhur Abalos.
Tiangco also said the possibility of dropping Sen. Marcos and Villar from the administration’s senatorial slate has not been discussed even if President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already hinted at dropping her sister, a known ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is now detained in the Netherlands where he is being tried for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Marcos and Villar did not attend the Alyansa’s campaign rally in Trece, Martires Cavite last Friday, where the president notably left out his sister’s name when he endorsed the other 11 Alyansa bets.
The president appeared to have dropped his sister from the slate after she led a Senate investigation into Duterte’s arrest.
Sen. Marcos has said she cannot do anything but accept the situation since she has already warned before joining the slate that there would be conflicts because of her alliance withe the Duterte family.
While he did not mention the bickering between the administration and the Duterte camp, Pacquiao, in his campaign speech in Cavite, urged the country to unite against poverty in the face of what he said was a worsening political divide.
The former senator lamented that ordinary people are the ones who suffer whenever the country’s leaders bicker. “Kailangan nating lampasan ang hidwaang pampulitika at pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga solusyong mag-aangat sa buhay ng bawat Pilipino (We have to rise above political rifts and focus on solutions that will uplift the life of every Filipino),” he said.
“Ang problema natin ngayon, hindi lang kahirapan kundi ang pagkakawatak-watak ng bayan. Hindi tayo dapat mag-away-away dahil sa pulitika, ang tunay na laban natin ay ang kahirapan, ang mataas na presyo ng bilihin, at ang kakulangan ng oportunidad para sa lahat (Our problem now is not only poverty but division. We shouldn’t fight over politics. Our true enemy is poverty, high prices of commodities and the lack of opportunities for everyone),” he said.
Pacquiao warned against what he called “politics of division which derails us from achieving progress” as he urged voters to pick leaders who prioritize public service over personal ambitions, saying “a candidates’ loyalty should be to the people.”
Meanwhile, Tulfo said he intends to file a bill seeking to allot time for two prayer breaks and room for Muslim workers in both the public and private sectors.
