The massive crowd in the campaign rally of the “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” in Tacloban City last Friday proves that Eastern Visayas remains a “stronghold” of the Marcos and Romualdez families, Speaker Martin Romualdez said yesterday.
The Speaker, who joined President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the campaign rally which was attended by an estimated 100,000 people, including local leaders of Eastern Visayas, said this only showed that Waray-speaking provinces are backing the president’s chosen senatorial candidates.
“The Waray people’s resounding support for the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas reflects their unwavering trust in the administration’s leadership and its goal of building a stronger and more prosperous Philippines,” the Speaker said in a statement.
The administration’s senatorial slate 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.
Sen. Marcos, the president’s elder sister, skipped the Tacloban City grand rally, saying she could not accept what the government did to former president Rodrigo Duterte who was arrested and turned over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands where he will be tried for crimes against humanity for the thousands of deaths caused by his war on drugs.
While the Ilocos Region is considered the bailiwick of the Marcoses in the north, Leyte is their turf in the Visayas since it is the home province of former first lady Imelda Marcos, who once served as representative of the province’s first congressional district.
Romualdez, a proud son of Leyte and a first cousin of the president, stressed the crucial role of the upcoming midterm elections in “ensuring the continuity of the administration’s economic and social reforms.”
“Ang pagkakaisang ipinakita ng ating mga kababayan dito sa Eastern Visayas ay patunay na buo ang suporta natin sa liderato ni Pangulong Marcos. Hindi lang ito isang rally — ito ay isang paninindigan na ipagpapatuloy natin ang mga repormang magpapalakas sa ating ekonomiya at magbibigay ng mas magandang kinabukasan para sa bawat Pilipino (The support showed by our people here in Eastern Visayas proves our full support for the leadership of President Marcos. This isn’t just a rally – this is a commitment to continue the reforms that would strengthen our economy and ensure a better future for every Filipino),” he said.
Romualdez cited the administration’s priority programs, including infrastructure development, economic resilience, and social welfare initiatives that have directly benefited the region as he urged voters to support the administration’s senatorial candidates “who will work closely with the president to accelerate national progress.”
Pacquiao, speaking at the rally, recalled the time he spent with Typhoon Yolanda victims in Leyte, saying he once slept in a tent alongside survivors in the aftermath of the devastating storm in 2013.
The boxing icon, who was then a representative of Sarangani, took it upon himself to organize and deliver much-needed relief to the hardest-hit areas, particularly in Leyte and Samar, using
his own resources and solicited support from private donors, dispatching trucks filled with food packs, water, and medical supplies.
More than just sending aid, Pacquiao recalled that he personally traveled to the disaster zones, walking among the survivors, listening to their stories, and offering words of encouragement.
“Tandaan n’yo, mahal na mahal ko ang mahihirap (Remember that I love the poor),” Pacquiao said, sharing that his own personal struggles with poverty is what fueled his advocacy for the poor and marginalized. “At sa aming alyansa, kaming labing dalawa titiyakin namin na walang maiiwan (And in our alliance, all 12 of us will ensure that one will be left behind).”
