President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday rallied support for his Senate slate, urging Filipinos to reject what he described as an attempt by some to “return to darkness” and instead choose leaders who will bring progress, compassion and unity.
Speaking at the “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” campaign rally in Davao del Norte, Mr. Marcos framed the upcoming elections as a pivotal moment for the country’s future.
He also indirectly responded to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks suggesting that incumbent senators should be killed to make way for PDP senatorial bets.
“We see the other party… they seem unnerved, maybe even afraid because when they see the Alyansa lineup, they start saying all sorts of things,” he said.
“We just heard the other day that they said there’s no hope—maybe because they have no hope (of winning) themselves – so they would rather eliminate 15 senators. Then again, it’s troubling that some people think the only solution to all problems is to kill more Filipinos. It’s puzzling why they think that way.”
“This election is crucial. You must choose whether we move forward or return to a time of fear and uncertainty,” President Marcos added.
During last Thursday’s PDP proclamation rally, Duterte said: “Patayin natin ‘yung mga senador ngayon para mabakante. Kung makapatay tayo ng mga kinse na senador, pasok na tayong lahat. (Let’s kill the senators now to have vacant seats. If we can eliminate 15 senators, we can all get in.) Talking of opportunities, the only way to do it to blow them all up.”
Earlier this week, Mr. Marcos kicked off his senatorial bets’ campaign by assuring voters that his candidates “do not have blood on their hands” from the previous administration’s bloody war on drugs.
“Look at the record of our candidates. None of them have blood on their hands because of Tokhang (drug war). None of them were involved in pocketing sacks of money, exploiting the pandemic crisis, or abandoning our people to sickness and death,” the President said.
Mr. Marcos added that none of his candidates are pro-China nor have they coddled criminals involved in illegal POGO activities.
“We are at a crossroads as a free nation. Do we want to return to a time when our leaders wanted us to become a province of China? Do we want to go back to the days when our country was turned into a gambling den for foreigners?” he said.
“There is no one among our candidates who applauds China and is pleased when we are bombarded with water, when our Coast Guard is hit, when our fishermen are blocked, their catch stolen, and our islands seized,” Mr. Marcos added.
At the House, Assistant Majority Leader and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon on Saturday urged Filipinos to stand firm against “pro-China candidates” in the May 12 elections and rally behind Team Pilipinas, which he said is the senatorial ticket of the Marcos administration.
“This is no ordinary election. It is a fight for the future of our country, We can either elect leaders who will defend our sovereignty and push for real reforms, or we let pro-China politicians regain power and sell our nation’s interests once again,” Bongalon said.
He said the Alyansa Team Pilipinas is committed to defending Philippine sovereignty, lowering the cost of living, and ensuring real economic progress.
In contrast, he said Team China, referring to the Duterte-aligned candidates, has a long track record of appeasing Beijing, ignoring the plight of Filipino fishermen, and weakening national institutions.
“These pro-China politicians let Beijing trample on our rights in the West Philippine Sea. They made excuses for Chinese aggression and questioned our own legal victory in The Hague. Why should we allow them back into power?” Bongalon said.
“They talk about patriotism, but their actions show otherwise. They welcomed China’s interference, they pushed for lopsided projects, and they even threatened our institutions when it suited them,” he added.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Alyansa confident in Mindanao vote amid strong Duterte family ties.”