E. Visayas leaders confident of administration slate’s win

Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates. — File photo.

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — Leaders from across Eastern Visayas — from governors and lawmakers up to community officials — are confident that the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate will win big here, as the campaign season for the 2025 midterm elections wraps up.

During the program at the Tacloban Coliseum here on Thursday, Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone said that they attended the unity rally hosted by Tingog party-list and Lakas-CMD to listen to barangay leaders on which candidates they prefer.

“We speak today not merely as governors, but as stewards of our provinces who know what our people truly need. And what we need are leaders in the Senate who will fight for development in the regions, uphold local voices and ensure that progress is shared across the country,” Evardone, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s party-mate at the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), said in an interview.

“These are our barangay leaders telling us who they trust. And the answer is clear: they want senators who will partner with them, not leave them behind,” Evardone said. “Our support for the Alyansa slate is grounded in hope. We will hold these candidates to the same standard of excellent service we ask of ourselves.”

Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado, meanwhile, said that the rally was “reaffirmation of a long-standing commitment to national transformation.”

Mercado, who belongs to the Lakas-CMD party, said the Alyansa slate enjoys strong support in Southern Leyte because “we are solid there.”

House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, meanwhile, assured Alyansa candidates that the community leaders would help the slate deliver its message to the people.

“Straight Alyansa?  You know Erwin (Tulfo), Ma’am Lani (Mercado), these people are not ordinary Taclobanons; all of them here are leaders, barangay councilors, barangay captains, part of ABCs (Association of Barangay Captains), there are mayors from the first district and the entire region.  That’s why we are solid here,” Romualdez addressed the crowd.

“Let us show the entire Philippines that if Eastern Visayas moves, we can really elect the entire senatorial slate of the Alyansa. Can we do this?” Romualdez asked, which prompted the crowd to reply in the affirmative.

Romualdez, in a subsequent ambush interview, said that they are doing everything possible to ensure a victory for the entire Alyansa slate.

“I’m hoping for it, we’re doing everything we can,” he noted.

Last Wednesday, both Lakas-CMD and Tingog party-list assured the administration that three million voters from Eastern Visayas will support the Alyansa for the midterm polls.

Romualdez said Eastern Visayas will support candidates who have compassion, vision, and a concrete plan for the nation.

“When regions come together, the entire country progresses. This is Eastern Visayas’ contribution to Bagong Pilipinas — a government rooted in caring, unity, and genuine service,” he said.

“Leadership must be rooted in love of country and service to others. On May 8, Region 8 declared, We stand for unity, not division; for service, not self-interest; for country—always,” Romualdez added.

Alyansa has already visited Tacloban, staging a rally at the Plaza Libertad, which was attended by over 100,000 residents across Leyte.  During that rally, Romualdez said that Alyansa will get a big victory in this city and in the entire Leyte province.

READ: Romualdez vows big win for Alyansa in Leyte 

Alyansa, a tie-up between five political parties including PFP, Lakas-CMD, Nationalist People’s Coalition, National Unity Party, and the Nacionalista Party, is fielding an 11-person slate for the midterm elections:

former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos
Makati Mayor Abby Binay
Senator Pia Cayetano
Senator Lito Lapid
Senator Bong Revilla
Senator Francis Tolentino
former senator Panfilo Lacson
Senator Manny Pacquiao
former Senate president Tito Sotto
ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo
Deputy Speaker Camille Villar/das/abc