Rep. Tulfo sees modest prospects of Marcos slate in Duterte bailiwick
Rep. Erwin Tulfo
DAVAO DEL NORTE — Survey frontrunner ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo saw modest prospects of the Marcos administration’s senatorial slate here in the bailiwick of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Tulfo, a native of Davao Oriental, said the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas backed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would not fare first in this region.
“Since, as someone pointed out earlier, this is President Duterte’s bailiwick, all the more, we are sure that we will not be number 1 here, we will be grateful already if some of us made it here, especially here in Davao,” Tulfo said before the press conference in Tagum City on Saturday afternoon.
The administration is fielding reelectionist senators Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla, and Francis Tolentino; former senators Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson, and Manny Pacquiao; House Deputy Speaker Camille Villar; former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos; and Makati City Mayor Abby Binay.
Sen. Marcos, Cayetano, Lacson, and Villar skipped the rally held a few hours after the press conference.
Tulfo also noted that most of the senatorial candidates of Alyansa served during Duterte’s presidency.
“We hope that the people will decide that maybe we will not be embarrassed by the Alliance because these candidates that you see on the posters are government officials or used to be government officials who have also worked; they also performed during the time of President Duterte,” he said.
On the other hand, Sotto sees good prospects for Alyansa in this region.
“I think that Alyansa has good chances here in Mindanao. I’m not saying that we will win or all of us will win, but I have said that we all have good chances here in Mindanao as a whole,” Sotto said in the same press conference.
Alyansa’s proclamation rally kicked off in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte on Feb. 11, marking the start of the 90-day campaign period.
Marcos, who led the alliance’s proclamation rally, unleashed a thinly veiled salvo of attacks on Duterte during his speech there.
Marcos said they are not “tainted by the blood” of the drug war which killed thousands, and did not profess pro-China and pro-Philippine offshore gaming operators sentiments, among other social ills, as opposed to the nine-man slate backed by Duterte.
READ: Marcos on admin slate: They’re not tainted by tokhang, Pogo, pro-China
He also led the second leg of the administration bloc’s sortie in Iloilo City on Friday where he also reiterated strong remarks against Duterte.
READ: Marcos to Iloilo execs: Coordinate with national gov’t in infra projects
Marcos repeated his tirades against Duterte here in the province which is part of his predecessor’s stronghold.
READ: Marcos throws shade at ex-Pres Duterte over ‘kill senators’ twit
Once allies during the 2022 polls, the Marcoses and Dutertes have been embroiled in a tussle marked by Vice President Sara Duterte’s resignation as education secretary in June 2024.
The feud has since escalated, with Vice President Duterte revealing that she allegedly instructed someone to kill Marcos, his wife Liza, and cousin House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she would be killed.
Her remarks were one of the reasons why the House of Representatives impeached her on February 5. Presidential son and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos was the first one who signed and endorsed the impeachment complaint.
Rep. Marcos said his move was prompted by the Vice President’s threats to his family and her remarks to dig up late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s remains before throwing them into the West Philippine Sea.
READ: Rep. Marcos on signing Sara Duterte impeach rap first: No surprise
