PAOAY, Ilocos Norte – Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) standard-bearer and former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (BBM) brought vice presidential bet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) to his home and introduced her to his hometown folks like any Ilocano gentleman would.

In his speech during his homecoming-proclamation rally in Ilocos Norte late Wednesday night with UniTeam candidates, Marcos admitted that he was accompanied by someone very special – Duterte.

“Umuwi ako dito na may kasama. At sinama ko na po at ipinagmamalaki ko sa ating mga kakailian ang aking naging partner, ang aking naging kasama sa kampanyang ito, ang aking kasama sa paglalaban sa kilusan ng pagkakaisa, ang pinakamagaling,” Marcos said as he began to introduce her to his very discerning kababayans at a campaign rally in Paoay Sand Dunes.

Marcos continued by describing how the lady mayor’s mere presence in the UniTeam slate one-ups all their rivals in the upcoming May 2022 polls.

“Sa lahat ng presidential candidate, hindi sila ganun kasuwerte kagaya ko dahil napunta sa akin ang vice presidential, ang pinakamagaling, pinakamahusay, at bukod sa lahat ang may matibay na paninindigan sa kanyang paniniwala na ang pagkakaisa at dapat nating gawin. Ang ating minamahal na Mayor Inday Sara Duterte,” the presidential aspirant said.

Marcos and Duterte – darlings of the north and the south of the archipelago, respectively – comprise the “BBM-Sara” UniTeam.

Its main campaign message is that of fostering unity toward the goal of helping Filipinos rise from the terrible effects of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) scourge.

While Marcos built up the lady official by highlighting her glowing traits as a leader, his eldest son and Ilocos Norte congressional aspirant Sandro Marcos, pitched that the Ilocandia return the favor and “protect” Duterte, who is the Lakas-CMD chairperson.

Sandro Marcos said in Ilocano during his own speech at the rally, “Inday Sara has done a lot for Apo BBM. Whenever we go to Davao, Apo Inday Sara would tell her kababayans, ‘Protect President Bongbong'”.

“That’s why what I want to say to all of you, the north, let us protect Vice President Inday Sara Duterte because as Apo BBM’s eldest son, I really have a huge debt of gratitude. To all of you here, hopefully, we give one vote for BBM and one vote for Inday Sara Duterte, apo,” said the younger Marcos.

Presidential aspirant Marcos is a native of Ilocos Norte, tracing his roots to the municipality of Sarrat where his father, the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was born.

The proclamation rally was held Wednesday night at the Paoay Sand Dunes. The festivities spilled over past midnight.

Before going onstage, the BBM-Sara tandem practically spent the whole day touring Ilocos Norte via motorcade and touching base with locals whenever they had the opportunity to stop and talk.

The trail of the caravan showed solid reception from the local residents, which culminated in the impressive crowd at the famous Paoay sand dunes.

Also lending their “star power” to the rally were the following senatorial candidates: reelectionist Sherwin Gatchalian and Migz Zubiri, House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Mark Villar, former Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gibo Teodoro, film actor Robin Padilla, and lawyer Larry Gadon.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco