LIPA City — Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas on Wednesday said Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard-bearer and frontrunner Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. is destined to be the country’s 17th president.
During the BBM-Sara UniTeam grand rally at the LiMa Park in Lipa, Batangas, Mandanas said Marcos is what the country needs because he envisions what the country and the people really need.
“Ngayong gabi, ang magandang buhay natin ay magsisimula na dahil kasama natin ang iginuhit ng tadhana na maging susunod na pangulo ng bansa. Bukod tanging siya lang ang nakakita na ang kailangan ng ating bansa, ang kailangan nating mga Pilipino ay ang pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan, hindi pagbabangayan,” he said.
The governor said it would be up to the people to vote for what the country truly needs, which is no other than Marcos.
“Ating ipakilala at iboto ang talagang kailangan natin ngayon….Siya ang nararapat na pangulo sapagkat isinasabuhay niya ang talagang kailangan ng mga Pilipino, ang kailangan ng bansa,” he said.
“Ating ipakilala at ating iboto ang susunod na pangulo ng bansa na si Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr.,” he said, which drew resonating cheers of approval from the mammoth crowd of supporters who attended the said rally.
For his part, Marcos thanked the Batangenos for the deep love and untiring support that they showered him and the UniTeam.
“Walang sawa ang inyong pagmamahal at suporta. Nagpapasalamat ako sa inyong mainit na salubong, hindi lang para sa mga kandidato ngunit maging sa mensahe ng pagkakaisa na aming dala,” he said.
Marcos also vowed to lower the high electricity costs in the country to generate more jobs.
He is convinced that the fastest way to propel the province to progress and development is to ensure affordable power rates.
Meanwhile, vice presidential bet Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, Marcos’ running mate, expressed confidence that the crowd, composed of more than 100,000 supporters, was not forced or paid to attend the event as they shouted “hindi kami bayad.”
“Sigurado ako na hindi kayo bayad dahil marami sa inyo ang kaninang umaga pa nandito. Kahit marami sa inyo ang gutom at malayo pa ang biyahe pauwi, mahal niyo ang UniTeam. Pag sinabi ng Batangas na panalo na ako, siguardo ako na panalo na ako,” Duterte said as she assured that their administration would focus on reviving the economy instead of imposing lockdowns due to Covid since it has become manageable with vaccines, mask, and medicine for it’s cure already available.
Meanwhile, a barangay official from one of Lipa’s barangays, said they are extremely grateful that Marcos chose to bring his campaign to Lipa even if he already visited Batangas City.
“Nagpapasalamat kami dahil nagpunta siya dito sa amin sa Lipa dahil hinahanap siya dito. Maraming BBM supporters dito kahit si Isko Moreno ang inendorso nina Sen. Recto (Ralph),” said Chairman Allan Sarmiento, of Barangay Quezon.
Collaborating with his statement, a group disclosed that they fully support Marcos, adding that they would attend the rally even if there were no movie stars or bands because they wanted to see and listen to him,
“Kahit walang artista o banda, pupunta pa rin kami para ipakita ang supiorta namin,” they said.
“Si BBM ang iboboto naming kasi hirap na po kami kaya gusto namin ng pagbabago,” Dolores Layson of Barangay Rosario also said.
Aside from Marcos and Duterte, senatorial bets Mark Villar, Harry Roque, Sherwin Gatchalian, Greg Honasan, Jinggoy Estrada, Robin Padilla, and Gilbert Teodoro also attended the rally.
Two other senatorial candidates, Loren Legarda and Juan Miguel Zubiri were not able to attend but their video messages were played on stage.|
