Kiko Pangilinan to supporters: Convince, welcome rival camps’ backers
Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (L) filed his Certificate of Candidacy for senator on October 8, 2024. (Official Facebook page of Kiko Pangilinan)
MANILA, Philippines — Senatorial candidate and former senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Saturday asked his supporters not to quarrel with other voters who once supported his political opponents and to instead welcome them to join his cause.
This was in response to a question from a supporter, who said he once campaigned for Pangilinan during his unsuccessful vice presidential bid in 2022 and asked what volunteers could do in the 2025 elections to better sway voters.
“[H]uwag nating awayin. Kahit na sila ay dating sumuporta kay BBM (President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.), sumuporta kay (Vice President) Sara (Duterte), et cetera, hindi mahalaga kung saan sila noon. Ang mahalaga nasaan tayo patutungo ngayon,” Pangilinan responded.
(Let’s not fight with them. Even if they once supported BBM, supported Sara, et cetera, it’s not important where they were before. What’s important is where we’re headed now.)
“Marami rin kasi nagsisisi. Nangako ng unity, nagkawatak-watak. Nangako ng P20 isang kilo ng bigas, nag-triple ang bigas. Huwag natin aawayin yung mga ganoon. Kumbinsihin natin, hikayatin natin,” he added.
(A lot of them actually regret it. Unity was promised, but they fell apart. One kilo of rice worth P20 was promised, but prices tripled. Let’s not fight those who once believed that. Let’s convince them, let’s invite them.)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, as the UniTeam tandem, defeated then-Vice President Leni Robredo and running mate Pangilinan in a landslide victory.
Marcos and Duterte’s alliance, however, has since soured.
READ: ‘Broken from start’, UniTeam sees complete collapse
“We (referring to supporters) can’t help it. Sometimes, we’d like to prove that we were right for whatever reason. But, you know, we all come from somewhere,” Pangilinan stressed,
The senatorial candidate also banked on the importance of house-to-house campaigns, saying voters had more trust when politics are local.
READ: The accountability revolution: Filipinos demand proof before trust
“When you bring the issue of the value and importance of the Senate to our voters, then they will be convinced to discern even better na hindi na lang kung sino sikat (to vote not just because they are famous),” Pangilinan added.
‘Once burned, twice shy’
Pangilinan was with supporters on Saturday at a forum in Quezon City’s third congressional district, with former Rep. Allan Reyes, who is seeking a House comeback; reelectionist Councilor Anton Reyes; and former Sen. Bam Aquino, represented by his nephew, Kiko Dee.
When asked about what brought the four of them together at the event, Pangilinan answered that they were united by “good governance,” a staple of his and Robredo’s 2022 messaging, which prompted him to recall their previous campaign
READ: Bam Aquino, Kiko Pangilinan pin comeback hopes on old ‘Pink Magic’
“The 2022 campaign was amazing in that we saw awe-inspiring volunteerism. Bam (Aquino) and I have these discussions. Where are they now? Part of those who fought in the 2022 elections, many are once burned, twice shy. Nasaktan, ayaw nang masaktan muli,” he said.
“Kailangan natin isantabi yung agam-agam, yung takot (We have to set aside our doubts, our fears). We should learn to love again. We should learn to risk again. We should learn to fight again because we cannot give up on our country, we cannot give up on our children. What kind of parent would I be if I gave up on my children? We cannot give up,” he added.
