Marcos brings campaign to Dutertes’ backyard
President Marcos on Saturday brought the midterm election campaign to a traditional bailiwick of his predecessor and critic, praising the administration-backed senatorial slate’s legislative and executive track record and taking another swipe at ex-President Rodrigo Duterte.
He kicked off the Mindanao leg of the campaign of the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas in Carmen town, Davao del Norte, the Dutertes’ backyard.
He was welcomed by supporters of the Uy political family, with its patriarch, Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy, and his son, Davao del Norte Vice Gov. DeCarlo Uy.
In his brief remarks, the President said rival parties were apparently daunted by the Alyansa’s 12-member slate because of their track record.
“We see the other parties, they are shocked, they are afraid of you. Because after they saw the Alyansa lineup, they kept on spouting nonsense,” Mr. Marcos said.
“The other day,” he said, “we heard them—maybe they think they have no hope of winning. That’s why they will just kill 15 senators.”
The President noted that eight of Alyansa’s senatorial candidates were either incumbent or former senators, who already know national legislation work.
Experienced bets
They are reelectionist Senators Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid and Ramon Revilla Jr., and former Senators Manny Pacquiao, Panfilo Lacson and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
Marcos noted that three other candidates, Camille Villar, Benhur Abalos and Abby Binay, had been members of the House of Representatives. Erwin Tulfo is an incumbent congressman.
He cited the executive experience of his sister, Imee Marcos, who had served as Ilocos Norte governor, Binay as outgoing Makati City mayor, Abalos as former Mandaluyong City mayor, interior secretary, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair just like Tolentino.
“They know what to do, they know the way to fully serve the people. They know how to run the government well,” Marcos said.
Cayetano, Lacson, Villar and his sister, however, did not show up at the rally.
Marcos also stressed that the administration coalition had over 18,000 candidates in local races throughout the country.
‘Kill’ as only solution
Without referring to Duterte by name, the President cited his predecessor’s remarks during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) proclamation rally last Thursday when the former president suggested killing 15 senators to create vacancies in the Senate for all the nine candidates of the party which he chairs.
“The thing here is, other people think that the one and only solution to all problems is to kill Filipinos. It makes one wonder why they think that way,” Mr. Marcos said.
It was the first time that he reacted to Duterte’s joke about taking out 15 senators.
During the Alyansa’s proclamation rally in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, last Tuesday, Mr. Marcos said none of the administration candidates had “blood on their hands,” referring to the thousands killed during Duterte’s brutal war on drugs.
Duterte and reelectionist Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, his first national police chief, are facing charges of crimes against humanity linked to the drug war in the International Criminal Court.
PDP-Laban rally ‘joke’
At the PDP-Laban proclamation rally inside the packed Club Filipino in San Juan City, Duterte said his party had “too many” candidates.
“What should we do? Well, let’s kill the senators now to create vacancies,” he said, drawing laughter and cheers from supporters, several of whom chanted, “Kill! Kill!”
“If we could kill 15 senators, we can get them all in,” he added.
“But that would be a pity. Then again, they’re irritating, not all of them, though,” he said. “Talking of opportunities, maybe the only way to do this is to set off a bomb.”
Mum on ‘addict’ tag
Mr. Marcos said he could understand the apprehension of other senatorial candidates who were going against the Alyansa slate.
“If I am with the other party and I’m facing these Alyansa candidates, then we will have a very difficult campaign because our rivals are heavyweights,” the President said.
Mr. Marcos, however, did not respond to Duterte’s renewed attacks against him over his alleged drug addiction.
The other PDP-Laban candidates are: Christopher “Bong” Go, musician and lawyer Jimmy Bondoc, former Interior Undersecretary Jayvee Hinlo, ex-presidential adviser for northern Luzon Raul Lambino, actor Philip Salvador, SAGIP Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, jailed Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy, and Mr. Marcos’ former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez.
