UniTeam Miting de Avance in P’que turns into ‘victory rally’

MAINTAINING its message of unity, the UniTeam Alliance bannered by presidential candidate former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his vice presidential tandem, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, turned its ‘miting de avance’ in Parañaque City Saturday night into a victory rally that was attended by more than one million supporters.

An elegant drone show and musical fireworks display were witnessed by UniTeam supporters immediately after Duterte delivered her speech.

“UniTeam, we have proven that a united Philippines is coming very very soon,” said Duterte, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) and regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) chairperson.

“Mula po noong nagsimula ang kampanyang ito, ang UniTeam po ay umiikot sa buong Pilipinas dala ang mensahe ng pagkakaisa, dala ang mensahe ng pagmamahal, at pagtutulungan ng bawat Pilipino. Dahil po sa aming pananaw, ito ang kailangan natin sa panahon ng krisis kagaya ngayon at tinanggap po ninyo ang mensahe namin tungkol sa pagkakaisa, naunawaan po ninyo kaagad na ang pagkakaisa ay magiging bunga ng pagmamahal ng bawat Pilipino sa isat-isa,” stressed Marcos, presidential candidate of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).

According to organizers’ crowd estimate, the UniTeam miting de avance at the open grounds in front of Solaire Hotel in Parañaque City breached the one million-mark as of 10 p.m.

“Maraming salamat, happy Mother’s Day din sa lahat ng ina na nandito. Kasi sinabi ninyo na panalo na ako, nag-barong ako, akala ko oath-taking na eh,” Duterte said in jest on the event that ended 11:30 p.m.

Marcos reiterated his call for the electorate to remain vigilant in protecting UniTeam votes.

“Mananalo talaga tayo basta’t walang tulugan sa Lunes para ‘di na tayo madisgrasya ulit, alam naman po natin na kapag naiwanan natin, kung minsan ay maraming nangyayari na ‘di kanais-nais. Katakot-takot na kape ‘tong uubusin natin,” Marcos said.

“Dito po natin makikita ang tunay na ugali at kultura ng Pilipino na nagmamahal sa kapwa, dito po natin makikita ang tunay na pagmamahal ng mga Pilipino sa ating minamahal na Pilipinas, kaya naman po ang ating sinasabi ay hindi tayo dapat magtaka dahil kung alam po natin ang ugali ng Pilipino, ang ugali ng Pilipino ay mapagmahal, ang ugali ng Pilipino ay may malasakit sa kapwa, lagi ko pong sinasabi sa pag-iikot-ikot namin na alam naman po natin ang tunay na puso ng Pilipino. Ang tunay na puso ng Pilipino ay tutulungan ang kanyang kapwa kapag naghihirap. Ang tunay na puso ng Pilipino ay magbibigay ng kanyang kamay upang makapagdulot man lang ng konting tulong at ginhawa,” added Marcos.

The miting de avance resembled more of a victory celebration for UniTeam and their supporters.

Thanking their supporters, officials and all those behind their successful campaign, Marcos and Duterte spelled out the need for all Filipinos to move past the elections and unite behind them for the sake of the country and their vision for a peaceful, economically-developed and progressive Philippines.

“Magandang gabi Pilipinas! Maraming-maraming salamat po at dito sa ating kahuli-hulihang rally, ang ating miting de avance ay nagpakita muli ang ating mga kababayan na kasama ninyo ay nasa likod ang lakas ng suporta ng madlang Pilipino sa UniTeam at saka sa tambalang Marcos-Duterte,” Marcos said.

“Ibang klase kayo, mula proclamation rally hanggang miting de avance ipinakita ninyo na hindi puwedeng matinag ang inyong pagmamahal sa UniTeam. Mula Norte hanggang sa dulo ng Mindanao ay ipinaramdam ninyo sa akin ang init ng inyong pagmamahal at pagtanggap sa akin. Ibang klase magmahal ang mga supporter ng UniTeam sa ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, wala na tayong mahihiling pa mula sa ating mga kababayan, na sa halip na mapagod ay sinamahan tayo sa bawat motorcade, house-to-house, rally, at sortie. Maliit na bayan man o malaking siyudad nakasama namin kayong lahat,” said Duterte.

“Sama-samang nagkakaisa, nakikipaglaban, bumabangon para sa inyong lahat. Pinatunayan ninyo na panalo na ang UniTeam dahil sa hindi mapapantayang suporta ninyong lahat. Ipinakita ninyo na panalo na ang UniTeam, dahil sa nagkakaisa para sa ating Pangulo, para sa ating UniTeam senators, at para sa akin,” she added.

Duterte also said she learned not to hit back at detractors during the campaign season.

“Natutunan ko sa ating kampanya na ‘wag na pumatol, kaya nga ‘di ba may burger tayo dahil burger kayong lahat at silang lahat sa amin ni Bongbong Marcos,” Duterte said.

Duterte asked the electorate to vote straight for UniTeam, including senatorial candidates Gringo Honasan, Robin Padilla, Gibo Teodoro, Win Gatchalian, Migz Zubiri, Herbert Bautista, Harry Roque, Mark Villar, Larry Gadon, and Jinggoy Estrada who delievered their respective speeches and Loren Legarda who sent a recorded message that was played during the miting de avance.

“Sa Lunes, sa araw ng halalan ipakita natin ang nagkakaisang boto ninyo para sa buong UniTeam. Mga kababayan, mula sa aking puso, para sa Diyos, para sa bayan, para sa ating mga pamilya, mahalin natin ang Pilipinas. Maraming-maraming salamat, magandang gabi sa inyong lahat,” Duterte added.

The miting de avance, which also marked the end of the official campaign period just two days before Filipinos will go to vote, was the last of the three events held by Marcos and Duterte and the UniTeam Alliance’s senatorial candidates in Visayas, Mindanao and Luzon.

The last political gathering of Marcos and Duterte and the UniTeam looked more of a “victory rally” as the presidential and vice presidential frontrunners respectively, are almost assured of leading the country in the next six years beginning on June 30.

Marcos and Duterte have not only maintained their leads against their rivals before the start and during the official campaign period that stretched two days into the actual voting, as shown by results of sustained surveys carried out by different groups and pollsters, but even led them by wide margins, thus predicting an overwhelming win for them.

Local officials and leaders as well as supporters of Marcos and Duterte, whose acceptance from Filipino voters have not gone down from between 53 and 56 percent in comparison with the less than 20 percent in acceptance rating of their closest rivals since the start of the campaign, have assured to give the BBM-Sara tandem a landslide victory in the polls.

During the first miting de avance of the UniTeam Alliance in Guimbal, Iloilo last Tuesday which ended its campaign in the Visayas region, Marcos and Duterte called on their supporters to sustain their movement for unity, which they even declared as a “crusade” at the start of the campaign.

Marcos said the movement for national unity should not stop on the day of the elections, but should be carried on as a pressing task.

Duterte, on the other hand, also added that the Marcos-Duterte leadership will prioritize the creation of more jobs, improved health services, education and peaceful lives for Filipinos.