UniTeam conquers Calabarzon

In vote-rich region

ANTIPOLO City – STALWARTS of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) on Saturday welcomed here UniTeam presidential and vice presidential aspirants Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, respectively, as the leading duo barnstormed the vote-rich areas of the province, drawing tens of thousands of supporters in a motorcade and in two separate multi-sectoral gatherings.

The Rizal swing today (Saturday) effectively wrapped up the CALABARZON leg of the BBM-Sara UniTeam Caravan’s pre-campaign sorties in the region, which has the biggest number of registered voters — numbering 8.72 million — among the 17 regions for the May 2019 elections.

“This is equivalent to 14 percent of all registered voters in the country,” noted House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez, president of Lakas-CMD which carries Duterte as standard bearer and candidate for Vice President.

“Our internal surveys show that the BBM-Sara team is right on track in scoring a landslide win in CALABARZON, securing at least 59 percent of the voters this early,” Romualdez said.

At the Ynares Sports Center Saturday morning, Duterte thanked the Ynares family led by former Rizal Gov. Casimiro “Junjun” Ynares, III and his wife, Antipolo City Mayor Andrea Bautista-Ynares, both stalwarts of NPC, for helping them organize a UniTeam event here.

“Unang-una ang aming pagpapasalamat sa Ynares family dahil tinulungan po nila kami na mag-organize ng event ngayong umaga para makasama kayo at makikala uli kayo,” Duterte said who underscored in her speech the importance for Filipinos to unite in the next six years to fight the pandemic and ensure economic recovery.

In his speech, Junjun Ynares welcomed the Uniteam tandem and introduced Marcos as the country’s next president.

“Taong 2016, atin po siyang ibinoto sa pagka-bise presidente matapos ang anim na taon, siya po ay nagbabalik at muli mainit po nating tinatanggap sa ating lalawigan. Mga kababayan, isang karangalang ipakilala ko po sa inyo, ang susunod na Pangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas, Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos,” said Junjun Ynares, a political kingpin in Rizal.

Senatorial aspirants Harry Roque, Jinggoy Estrada, and Brian Revilla of Agimat party-list group joined Marcos and Duterte at the Ynares Sports Center.

The successful event was also attended by Rizal Vice Gov. Junrey San Juan, a stalwart of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) led by Marcos as its standard-bearer.

NOGRALES TO MAKE BBM-SARA THE WINNING TEAM IN RIZAL’S 4TH DISTRICT

From Ynares Sports Center, the UniTeam held a motorcade to Taytay, Cainta, San Mateo, which ended at the jampacked Montalban Sports Center for another multi-sectoral gathering organized by Lakas-CMD spokesman and Rizal 4th District Rep. Fidel Nograles and other local leaders.

“We will make Sen. Bongbong and Mayor Sara the winning team in Rizal. In my district, we will give them 130,000 out of 200,000 registered voters,” said Nograles, who held a caucus with political leaders to ensure that the supermajority votes will be delivered to Marcos and Duterte in next year’s polls.

Rodriguez, Rizal Mayor Dennis Hernandez, another NPC member, attended the event.

During the Rodriguez (formerly Montalban) gathering, other attendees with Nograles were former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Romualdez, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Cainta mayoralty candidate and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) legend Alvin “The Captain Lion Heart” Patrimonio, and San Juan.

In San Pablo City, Laguna last Friday, political bigwigs crossed party lines to give a warmest welcome to Marcos and Duterte whom they described as the “winning team” in next year’s elections.

“Laguna is more than elated and excited to welcome our winning team and the perfect tandem, the UniTeam of BBM-Sara,” Laguna Vice Governor Karen Agapay, national president of the League of Vice Governors of the Philippines, told the UniTeam BBM-Sara meet-and-greet with Lakas-CMD officials and members, friends and the Fraternal Order of Eagles Philippine Eagles at the Palmeras Garden Restaurant here.

Laguna Gov. Ramil L. Hernandez, a party-mate of Agapay under the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), also met with Duterte as Agapay announced their decision to make the presidential daughter an adopted honorary daughter of Laguna.

Pakil, Laguna Mayor Vincent Soriano, Lakas-CMD provincial chairman, assured the victory in Laguna of Marcos and Duterte who are consistent survey frontrunners.

Soriano said Lakas-CMD is working in collaboration with PDP-Laban in the province to ensure a better Laguna.

In another rally in Calamba City Friday afternoon, Mayor Justin Marc Chipeco, a stalwart of the Nacionalista Party (NP) of former Senate President Manny Villar declared support for Marcos and Duterte.

Chipeco, Calamba City Rep. Joaquin Chipeco Jr. and their political allies organized a rally attended by public officials and multi-sectoral groups at the Rizal Grounds in front of Calamba City Hall.

Laguna Rep. Sol Aragones, another stalwart of NP who is running for governor, attended the rally before Marcos and Duterte arrived.

On Friday afternoon, two separate rallies were held at the Pamantasan ng Cabuyao, Cabuyao and another one in San Pedro organized by local leaders.

During Thursday’s rally in Bacoor City, Nacionalista Party (NP) matriarch Sen. Cynthia Villar and her son, former Public Works and Highways Sec. Mark Villar shared the stage with Marcos and Duterte in a rally where the leading duo introduced Mark Villar as their senatorial candidate.

Last week, Batangas Gov. Hermilando “Dodo” I. Mandanas, another PDP-Laban stalwart, and Quezon Gov. Danny Suarez, a stalwart of Lakas-CMD, declared support for Marcos and Duterte during the UniTeam Alliance sorties there.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco