PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday campaigned for a 12-0 victory for the senatorial candidates of the administration’s “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” slate during the team’s kick-off rally that was held in Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, the President’s home province.
Taking a potshot at allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte who are running in the Senate race, Marcos said none of the administration’s senatorial candidates have been involved in a “bloody” drug war, in alleged pocketing of public funds during the pandemic, in allowing the country to become a foreign gambling site or in applauding China’s harassments and attempts to take over parts of the Philippines to turn it into their province.
“Wala sa kanila ang may bahid ng dugo dahil sa tokhang. Wala sa kanila ang kasabwat sa pagbulsa ng sako-sakong pera, pinagsamantalahan ang krisis ng pandemya, pinabayaan ang ating mga kababayan na magkasakit at mamatay (None of them have blood in their hands due to tokhang. None of them were involved in the pocketing of public funds and in taking advantage of the pandemic and letting Filipinos die),” the President said.
He added: “Wala sa kanila ang mga pumapalakpak sa Tsina at natutuwa pa kapag tayo ay binobomba ng tubig, tinatamaan ang ating mga Coast Guard, hinaharang ang ating mga mangingisda, ninanakaw ang kanilang huli, at bukod pa roon ay inaagaw pa ang mga isla natin para maging bahagi ng kanilang bansa (None of them applauded or cheered China when it water-bombed the Coast Guard or blocked the fishermen and stole their catch, or when China tried to grab our islands to make it their own).”
“Wala po sa kanila ang tilang sakristan ng isang bulaang propeta na nasasakdal dahil sa pagyurak sa ating kabataan at sa ating kababaihan. Wala sa kanila ang tagataguyod ng pugad ng krimen na naging sentro ng paglalapastangan ng mga kababaihan, o ng mga POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation) (None of them are false prophets that were charged for abusing children and women. None of them pushed for the establishment of the POGOs that became havens for crimes to abuse women],” he also said.
The President did not mention specific names even as he asked Filipinos not to allow the country to return to the period when the country’s leaders were the first to peddle the Philippines to China, or the period when the blood of the innocent were sacrificed.
It was during the Duterte administration when the campaign against illegal drugs became violent and resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent victims, and when the Philippines developed closer ties with China and set aside the maritime dispute.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, was the implementor of the Duterte government’s “Oplan Tokhang” against illegal drugs, while Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy, another Duterte ally, is facing charges of child and women abuse, and illegal trafficking of women and children. Both are gunning for a Senate seat in this year’s midterm polls.
The President, in his speech, also told Ilocanos who attended the rally that the administration’s candidates are not “OJTs” (on the job trainees) but experienced lawmakers, local government executives and Cabinet officials, and true public servants.
“Kaya sa darating na Mayo huwag nang tingnan ang ibang mga pangalan. I-shade na lang lahat ito kandidato sa harap at gawin natin 12-0 ang resulta sa Senado nang sa ganon, matiyak natin ang kinabukasan ng Pilipinas (That’s why in the coming May elections, do not look at the other names and just shade the names of the candidates in front of you and make it a 12-0 result in the Senate so we can ensure the future of the Philippines),” Marcos said.
The Alyansa is composed of five political parties, namely the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Nacionalista Party (NP) and National Unity Party (NUP).
NO NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING
The Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, the administration’s senatorial slate, vowed that it will not resort to negative campaigning, saying its candidates will rise on their own merits and accomplishments.
“Hindi, walang negative tactics, ‘di ba? (No, there will be no negative tactics, right?)” Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco, the Alyansa’s campaign manager, told a press conference in Laoag City before the slate kicked off the campaign at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena.
“Ang importante, ipaalam lang sa ating mga kababayan kung paano ang ating mga kandidato ay makakatulong sa plataporma ng ating Presidente (What’s important is to let our people know how the candidates can help our President’s platform),” he said.
The administration’s senatorial ticket is composed of reelectionist Senators Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Francis Tolentino; former senators Panfilo Lacson, Vicente Sotto III and Manny Pacquiao; Reps. Erwin Tulfo (PL, ACT-CIS) and Camille Villar (Las Piñas City); Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, and former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos.
All the members of the slate attended the kick-off rally at around past 4 p.m. where the crowd estimate was at least more than 20,000 people, according to the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office.
Lacson backed Tiangco, saying: “Two words: golden rule. Kung ayaw mong gawin sa iyo ng kapwa mo, huwag mo rin gawin (Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you).”
“Walang maidudulot na maganda ang negative campaigning. Rise on your own merits. Gamitin mo ang sarili mong track record, experience, at gagawin mo sa halip ng manira ng iba (Negative campaigning won’t bring any good. Rise on your own merits. Use your own track record, experience, and platform instead of destroying others),” he added.
Pacquiao said the Alyansa ticket only wants to help improve the country and make it more progressive.
“Kaya po kami ay talagang naka focus doon sa pwede naming gawin sa bansa natin para ang taumbayan ay guminhawa (We are focused on what we can do to our nation to bring relief to the people),” he said.
In a statement, the Alyansa said Ilocos Norte, the bailiwick of the Marcos family, served as a “symbolic starting point” for its campaign, “reinforcing its strong ties to the administration.”
The administration slate will also hold kickoff rallies in Iloilo City, Carmen in Davao del Norte, and Pasay City, representing three other major regions in the country.
“Makikita po natin sa ating mga kandidato na lahat sila ay may napatunayan na. Hindi lang sila nangangako, may nagawa na, at sila po ay makakatulong sa pagsulong ng mga programa ng ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos (We can see in our candidates that all of them have proven themselves. They didn’t promise, they delivered, and they’ll be able to help push for the programs of President Bongbong Marcos),” Tiangco said.
In his speech at the rally, Lacson said “3Ms” represent the best traits of Ilocanos: “Masinop, Masipag at Matapat (Frugal, Industrious, and Loyal).”
“When I visit Ilocos Norte or any part of the Ilocos region, three traits of Ilocanos come to mind – frugality, industriousness, and loyalty,” he said in Filipino. “The Ilocano is frugal and industrious to ensure a better future for his children. And the Ilocano is loyal,” he also said.
He cited three Ilokanos in who embody the 3Ms: Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile for being “frugal,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin for being “industrious,” and the President for being “loyal.”
The former senator recalled the overwhelming support he got from the “Solid North” when he topped the senatorial race in this city in 2016.
“I reviewed my voting history here. In 2016, I topped the senatorial race in Laoag City, and was No. 2 in the whole Ilocos Norte province, behind only now-Speaker Martin Romualdez,” he said.
Abalos, for his part, said the grandfather of his father, former elections chair Benjamin Abalos, hailed from the town of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur while his daughter Charlene is set to marry someone from Vigan.
“So, may dugo kaming Ilocano, mag-aasawa na Ilocano (So we have Ilocano blood. Will marry an Ilocano),” he said. “Sana po, mahalin niyo rin ako bilang Ilocano (I hope you’ll love me as an Ilocano.” – With Wendell Vigilia
