Basta bantayan n’yo boto sa Lunes

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte – THE UniTeam presidential-vice presidential tandem of former Sen. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Thursday night appealed to Filipinos to vote on Monday and thereafter protect their votes.

The BBM-Sara team made the appeal during a miting de avance rally attended by a mammoth crowd here, the second in a series of three assemblies that is meant to cap the UniTeam election campaign.

After exercising their right to vote, Marcos said their supporters have to remain vigilant and protect their votes during the entire voting and canvassing process.

“Panalo na! Basta’t bantayan niyo ‘yung boto sa Lunes na walang tulugan. Hihingi tayo sa lahat ng kaibigan natin ng maraming-maraming kape para walang matutulog dahil alam naman natin kapag tayo ay natulog maraming nangyayari na ‘di kanais nais,” Marcos said in his speech during the rally attended by huge crowd despite the heavy downpour.

“Humihingi kami ng suporta sa inyo upang tulungan kami na mahalal at maluklok sa iba’t-ibang mga posisyon upang kami ay makapagsimula sa trabaho ng pagkakaisa. Ngunit ang aking napuna po habang tumatagal ang kampanya, ‘yung pagkakaisa ng taong-bayan ay sinimulan na at nagsisimula na magkaisa ang buong Pilipinas. Hindi n’yo na hinintay ang halalan, hindi n’yo na inantay ang resulta ng halalan, ngunit kayo po ang taong-bayan ang nanguna na dito sa kilusan ng pagkakaisa na ating sinimulan, na ating ipinaglalaban, na ating isinisigaw na alam po nating makakabuti po sa taong-bayan,” Marcos added.

In her own speech, Marcos’ running mate Duterte thanked the crowd in Bisaya for making them feel that victory in the polls is imminent.

“Pag sinabi ng TAGUMpay, panalo na, panalo na ang lahat,” Duterte said who asked the crowd to vote for Marcos.

The Davao mayor and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) chairperson repeatedly told the crowd that she loves them, on top of reiterating to them her call for economic recovery and individual protection from the pandemic.

“Mahal ko kayo! Mahalin natin ang Pilipinas,” she said.

The UniTeam duo made these remarks amid the release of OCTA Research’s final presidential and vice presidential survey results before the May 9 polls.

The results of the survey, which was carried out from April 22 to 25, showed Marcos with a voter preference of 58 percent, while Duterte had 56 percent.

The duo reiterated their commitment to heal and unite the country after Monday’s elections, if they win the people’s mandate.

They said the campaign has become toxic, divisive and acrimonious, as evidenced by various political colors that opposing political groups have associated themselves with.

There should only be one color after the nation elects its new leaders – white, representing hope and unity that will lead to progress, they said.

They also reiterated their promise to continue reopening the economy and the nation, while remaining vigilant against the COVID-19, and to pursue the programs of the Duterte administration, including the campaign against illegal drugs and criminality and its massive Build, Build, Build infrastructure development push.

UniTeam’s first miting de avance with a mammoth crowd was held in Guimbal, Iloilo last Tuesday, while the culminating Luzon rally will take place in Parañaque on Saturday, the last day of the election campaign.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco