REELECTIONIST Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa yesterday said he has shifted to “guerilla-type” campaigning after several local government units turned down the request of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino- Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) senatorial candidates to woo voters in their localities.
Dela Rosa lamented most local leaders see the PDP-Laban as the “opposition” because of the rift between the Marcos and Duterte families.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte is the head of the PDP-Laban.
To be able to campaign, Dela Rosa says he uses a motorbike to go around municipalities where they cannot get permits to hold political rallies, while his campaign team coordinates with supportive local leaders so they can hold dialogues with residents.
“Ongoing yung ating guerilla warfare type of campaigning. Kahit saan umaabot, kinakausap na lang natin yung mga LGU chiefs at yung mga taong may hawak rin ng mga tao, mga leaders na puwedeng makatulong sa atin (My guerilla warfare type of campaigning is ongoing. We just communicate with LGU chiefs, and the local leaders who have influence on their residents so they can help me in the campaign),” he said.
The former PNP chief-turned-senator said he does not mind if he is campaigning in an “unconventional way” as long as he is able to engage people in intimate conversations.
“Sige lang kahit na sabihin natin unconventional itong pangangampanya but still ma-consider din natin na very personal dahil kung sa guerilla warfare, this is hand-to-hand combat, person-to-person campaigning talaga itong ginagawa natin (I don’t mind if they say that I am campaigning in an unconventional manner, but I consider this as something very personal. Just like in guerilla warfare, the manner in which I campaign can be likened to a hand-to-hand combat, person-to-person campaigning is what I do),” he also said, adding: “No plaza? No venue? No host? No problem!”
