‘Alyansa all the way’: Marcos woos Rizal voters sans sister Imee
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raising the hands of Alyansa senatorial candidates in Tacloban rally. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Life goes on for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas as campaign resumes in Antipolo City, Rizal — marking the first sortie wherein his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, is officially dropped from the slate.
During the campaign rally on Friday, President Marcos deviated from his usual battle cry of “Labing-dalawang Alyansa” — literally an alliance of twelve in English — and instead called on voters to pick “Alyansa all the way.”
The Chief Executive also referred to only three strong and brave women in the Alyansa slate — Makati Mayor Abby Binay, Senator Pia Cayetano, and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Camille Villar.
“At hindi po natin kinakalimutan ang boses ng ating kababaihan. Tatlo po sa — nandito po, nag-gagandahan po iyong tatlo naming kandidato rito. At nakangiti lang po ‘yan ngunit asahan po ninyo napakatapang niyan, napakasipag po niyan,” Marcos said.
(We have not forgotten about our women. Three of our candidates — these beautiful candidates are here — they are smiling but you can expect them to be courageous and hard-working.)
“Hindi niyo kailangan alalahanin na mawawala ang boses ng kababaihan dahil nandiyan po sila at sila ay magiging boses ng kababaihan sa Senado, sila ang magtatanggol sa karapatan ng ating mga kababaihan dito sa Pilipinas,” he added.
(You do not have to be afraid that women would lose representation because they are there, and they will be the voice of women in the Senate, they will defend the rights of Filipino women.)
According to Marcos, voters should not hesitate to pick Alyansa candidates as they are fighting for a better Philippines.
“Kaya po nakilala niyo na po. Nakita niyo na po ang aming ipinaglalaban. Narinig niyo na po ang aming paninindigan. Narinig niyo na po kung ano ang aming balak gawin kapag sila ay nandiyan na sa Senado. Ang iisa lamang na aming iisipin kung papaano tulungan ang taong-bayan, kung papaano pagandahin ang Pilipinas, kung papaano pagandahin ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino,” he said.
(You have seen who we are, what we are fighting for. You have seen our resolve, you have heard our plans if they win Senate seats. And we are just thinking of one thing: how to help the people, how to improve the country’s status, how to make Filipino families’ lives more comfortable.)
“Iyan po ang aming layunin. Iyan po ang aming ipaglalaban. Iyan po ang Alyansa. Kaya po sa Mayo po, huwag na kayong magdalawang-isip, Alyansa all the way,” he added.
(That is our goal. That is what we are fighting for. That is Alyansa. That’s why by May, do not think twice, Alyansa all the way.)
Alyansa campaign manager and Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco said the group still wishes Senator Marcos well in her individual campaign.
“Yes, Senator Imee has decided that she will no longer join Alyansa and we respect her decision and wish her luck. For us, we would continue to campaign, as I have said earlier, we will share the capability, the qualifications, and the track record of these eleven candidates, which stand out if we compare their track record,” Tiangco said.
“They are the ones who can help and support President Bongbong Marcos in his three remaining years in office, because we only want to speed up development here in our country, and to fast-track improvements of our fellow Filipinos’ lives,” he added.
Earlier, another Alyansa candidate in former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said it looks like legendary Filipino rapper Andrew E. will have some problem when he hypes the crowd at Alyansa sorties, now that Senator Marcos has left the group.
Asked for their last messages after a press conference in Antipolo City, Lacson jokingly asked how Andrew E will now shout ‘labing-dalawa’ or twelve in Filipino, with Marcos opting to run solo for the 2025 midterm elections.
“Labing-isa na lang kami but we wish, we still wish Senator Imee all the best sa kanyang campaign. Ang mas may problema sa amin si Andrew E., (sasabihin niya na) ‘pag sinabi kong Alyansa sabihin niyo labing-isa’,” Lacson said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
(We’re only eleven now but we wish, we still wish Senator Imee all the best in her campaign. But the one facing a bigger problem among us is Andrew E., (because now he will say) ‘when I say Alyansa, you say eleven.)
Senator Marcos last March 26 announced that she has officially withdrawn from Alyansa, as she can no longer stand on the same platform as the administration-backed team. The development came two weeks after former president Rodrigo Duterte, her close ally, was taken into custody by the International Criminal Court.
READ: Imee Marcos leaves Bongbong-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas
Last March 14, Marcos apologized to people from their maternal hometown Leyte for her absence in the Alyansa rally at Tacloban, as she cannot accept what happened to Duterte.
At the Tacloban rally, President Marcos still appeared to endorse his sister, saying that if only the latter was present, she would have spoken to attendees using the Waray dialect.
But at the sortie in Cavite, President Marcos did not mention her sister in introducing Alyansa’s candidates. This incident happened again on the next day, during the sortie in Laguna.
