Kiko Pangilinan courts Ilocandia vote as campaign kicks into high gear

Kiko Pangilinan

MANILA, Philippines – With four days remaining before the midterm elections, former senator and senatorial candidate Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Wednesday made a final campaign push in La Union, meeting with local officials and engaging with supporters.

After visiting Ilocos Sur earlier in the day as part of his Northern Luzon barnstorm, Pangilinan began his La Union itinerary with a courtesy visit to Mayor Gary Pinzon at the Luna Municipal Hall, discussing his long-standing advocacies on food security and agricultural development.

Photo from Kiko Pangilinan campaign team

He then met with his volunteers at Rose Bowl in Bauang, where he expressed his gratitude for their continued support for his candidacy and urged them to ramp up their efforts in the final stretch of the campaign.

“Kinakailangan talagang magpursigi. Pasok tayo although statistically tied. Ibig sabihin mahigpit ang laban. Every vote matters, every vote is important kaya ang ating mga supporter, huwag tayong mag-re-relax,” Pangilinan said.

Kiko Pangilinan in La Union

“Hanggang sa Sabado tuluy-tuloy ang pangungumbinsi, mag-house-to-house pa rin, gumawa pa rin ng palengke visits, tawagan ang mga kaibigan, kaklase at kamag-anak. Mag-upload sa social media kung bakit niyo sinusuportahan ang ating kandidatura at i-share sa iba. Sabi ko nga, it’s a tight race and every vote will count,” he added.

The former senator also made a stop at Brgy. Urayong Multi-Purpose Hall in Bauang to meet with Vice Mayor Henry Bacurnay Jr., local officials, and residents to discuss the Sagip Saka Act that he championed in the Senate as principal author.

Kiko Pangilinan visits Bauang, La Union.

“Ang ating gobyerno pati ang pamahalaang lokal sa bawat region, sa bawat lalawigan ay ipatutupad ito. Mag-iiba ang hugis ng agrikultura at pangingisda sa bansa. Bakit? Dahil sa batas na ito, pag bibili ang gobyerno direkta sa magsasaka at mangingisda, wala nang public bidding, at exempted sa procurement law,” he said.

Pangilinan capped his day with a visit to Dagupan, Pangasinan, to meet with volunteers and supporters.

Last-minute push for victory

The following day of Pangilinan’s Ilocos leg campaign sortie, the former senator believes that a last-minute push for his candidacy will win him a coveted Senate seat in next week’s polls.

Speaking on a pick-up truck that turned into a makeshift stage in front of the Ilocos Sur Provincial Capitol on Thursday, May 8, the former senator explained how some 20 percent of voters will decide who to vote for on Election Day itself.

“Walang bibitiw. Tuloy-tuloy ang pagkukumbinsi. Sa totoo lang, base rin sa research hanggang 20% po ng botante hanggang sa araw ng halalan hindi pa magde-decide. Doon na lang sa araw ng halalan sasabihin, ‘Teka nga muna, sino nga ba ang ating senador?’,” he said.

“Kaya kinakailangan puntahan pa sila, mag-marites na wag maniwala sa kasinungalingan. Doon lamang sa katotohanan,“ he added.

With only two days left to the campaign period, Pangilinan will be barnstorming northern Luzon today, with his first stop in Ilocos Sur, where he said he won in the last three times he ran as senator.

“Pito hanggang walo ang naglalabanan sa huling tatlo o apat na slot kaya sabi nga nila, it’s neck-and-neck at dahil neck-and-neck, pwe-pwede pa ba na tuloy-tuloy pa natin ‘yung pagkukumbinsi dito sa Vigan, dito sa Ilocos Sur?,” he asked his supporters.

Running on the platform of food security and lower prices of food, the former senator plans to further intensify his campaign in the remaining days to Election Day.

His Luzon caravan will make stops in Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan on May 8 before proceeding to Tarlac and Pampanga on May 9, and finally, in Bulacan and Quezon City on May 10, the last day of the campaign period.