Marcos bats for admin Senate bets, saying they don't have blood on hands

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte—President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday night urged Filipinos to vote for his senatorial candidates, saying none of them were involved in killings during the war on drugs, corruption during the pandemic, and supporting China in the West Philippine Sea.

At the proclamation rally of the administration ticket Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, Marcos also referred to a false prophet who abused women and children.

Present during the proclamation rally were former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, outgoing Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Senator Pia Cayetano, Senator Lito Lapid, Senator Imee Marcos, former Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Senator Francis Tolentino, ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, and House Deputy Speaker Camille Villar.

Imee's attendance was not expected as she earlier declined to be part of her brother’s senatorial slate.

“Tignan niyo po ang record ng ating mga kandidato.  Wala sa kanila ang may bahid ng dugo dahil sa tokhang.  Wala sa kanila ang kasabwat sa pag bulsa ng sako-sakong pera, pinagsamantalahan ang krisis ng pandemya, pinabayaan ang ating mga kababayan na magkasakit at mamatay,” Marcos said.

“Wala sa kanila ang mga pumapalakpak sa Tsina at natutuwa pa kapag tayo ay binobomba ng tubig, tinatamaan ang ating mga Coast Guard, hinaharang ang ating mga mangingisda, ninanakaw ang kanilang mga huli at bukod pa roon ay inaagaw ang mga isla natin para maging bahagi ng kanilang bansa,” he added.

(Look at our candidates' records. None of them are tainted with blood because of tokhang. None of them were involved in pocketing sackfuls of money, taking advantage of the pandemic crisis, and abandoning our sick and dying countrymen.

None of them cheered for China and laughed when our Coast Guard was water cannoned, when our fishermen were prevented from fishing in our waters, their catch stolen, and aside from that, our islands taken to make them part of their own country.)

The President also alluded to a “false prophet.”

“Wala po sa kanila ang tilang sakristan ng isang bulaang propeta na nasasadlak dahil sa pagyurak sa ating kabataan at sa ating kababaihan.  Wala sa kanila ang taga-taguyod ng pugad ng krimen, ng sentro ng paglalapastangan ng mga kababaihan na mga POGO,” he said.

(None of them seemingly serve as altar boys to a false prophet who is being tried for abusing our children and our women.  None of them are defenders of the dens of crime, the center of desecration of women that are POGOs.)

Marcos didn't name names but the Ombudsman has recommended the filing of charges against some officials in connection with the government's purchase of medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Some Duterte administration officials are also under investigation by the International Criminal Court in connection with the killings blamed on his war on drugs.

The Philippines during the Duterte administration pivoted to China and strengthened its friendship with the Beijing government.

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who's also running for senator under the PDP ticket, is now detained on charges of trafficking and child abuse. He has denied the allegations against him.

Marcos asked his fellow Ilocanos if they wanted to “return to the past” where the leaders allowed the Philippines to be a “province of China.”

“Tayo ngayon ay nasa sangandaan ng ating paglalakbay bilang isang malayang bansa.  Bilang isang sambayanang may dangal, may sipag, at may talino.  Tayo ba ay papayag na babalik sa panahong kung kailan gusto ng ating mga liderato na maging probinsya tayo ng Tsina?” the President said.

“Babalik ba tayo sa nakaraan na ibinubugaw ang ating bayan bilang isang sugalan ng mga dayuhan?  Nais ba nating bumalik sa landas na umaapaw sa dugo ng mga inosenteng mga bata na inagaw sa kanilang mga ina, kinuha sa kanilang mga tahanan, at inagaw ang kanilang kinabukasan?” he went on.

(We are now at the threshold of our journey as an independent nation.  As a people with dignity, diligence, and intelligence,  are we willing to return to the time when our leaders wanted us to be a province of China?

Will we go back to the past when our country was pimped as a den of gambling for foreigners?  Do we want to return to a path that overflowed with the blood of innocent children who were taken from their mothers, taken from their homes, and robbed of their future?)

Marcos ended his speech by urging Filipinos to vote straight for the candidates of the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas.

“Walang nagnanais na Pilipino na mabalik tayo sa ganyang klaseng pagpatakbo.  Kaya naman, makakatiyak po kayo na kapag ang ating mga kandidato ay naluklok sa Senado at sila ay nagsimula ng kanilang trabaho, asahan po ninyo na sila po ay hindi makikihalo, hindi makikilahok sa ganyang bagay na ating iniwanan na at na ayaw na ayaw balikan,” he said.

(No Filipino wants us to go back to that kind of governance.  Therefore, you can be sure that when our candidates are elected in the Senate and they start working, you can expect that they will not get involved, will not participate in such things that we have already left, and that we do not want to return to.)

Campaign manager Toby Tiangco said the administration ticket was framing itself on the platform of economic recovery, inflation control, job creation and government efficiency.

“Sila po ay magiging katuwang natin sa Senado, kasama sa pagharap at paghahanap ng mga solusyon sa ating mga suliranin,” Tiangco said in a statement.

(They will be our partners in the Senate, allies in looking for solutions to our problems.)

Hundreds of Ilocanos, including senior citizens from different cities and municipalities, flocked to the Centennial Arena in Laoag City, enduring the heat as they wore shirts bearing the administration candidates’ names.

Attendees were provided fast food meals and were entertained by artists— Arci Muñoz, Sheryn Regis, Bugoy Drilon, and Andrew E.— as they waited for the arrival of the President and the 12 candidates.

The crowd gave its loudest applause when their fellow Ilocano—Senator Imee Marcos— and actor-lawmakers namely—Revilla, Lapid, and Sotto were introduced.

Local officials, namely outgoing Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta Marcos, presidential son and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos, and Ilocos Norte 2nd District Rep. Angelo Marcos Barba were also present at the event to welcome the candidates to their home province.

Where do the candidates stand?

Prior to the event, seven of the 12 administration candidates attended a press conference organized by the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas where they were asked about their positions on several issues including the West Philippine Sea and the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Responding to queries from the media, the eight senatorial candidates who attended the press conference said the first bills that they would file were the following:

• Lacson: Bill waiving the public officials’ right to bank secrecy
• Sotto: Bill against fake news/fake content and bill providing for the 14th month pay
• Abalos: Bill amending the Local Government Code to enhance policies on infrastructure development
• Tolentino: Bill removing Value Added Tax on electricity
• Pacquiao: Bill boosting micro, small, and medium enterprises to generate jobs
• Binay: Bill exempting the 13th-month pay and overtime pay from taxes and a bill providing free maintenance medicines for senior citizens
• Villar: Bill strengthening industries that generate jobs like construction, infrastructure, and tourism industries 
• Tulfo: Bill mandating PhilHealth to pay 50% in every hospital bill and bill providing sustainable livelihood programs

On Duterte’s impeachment, Sotto— who earlier served as the Senate President— warned of a possible challenge before the Supreme Court, particularly on the rules on convening the impeachment court.

“One hundred percent, somebody will take this to court because this is a justiciable issue,” Sotto said.

Recalling the last impeachment rules that were approved in the Senate, Sotto said the impeachment proceedings must proceed regardless of whether the sessions are adjourned or not.

However, Sotto believes the Senate rule that “all matters and proceedings shall terminate upon expiration of one Congress” will make things complicated.

For her part, Binay refused to comment on the matter saying it is “premature and unfair” to issue one at the moment.

“Personally wala po akong kopya ng articles of impeachment to be able to read the complaint. So it is very very premature and unfair to give a position on the impeachment this early,” Binay said.

Both Sotto and Binay stressed the need to be “impartial” in the impeachment proceedings. Only the two senatorial candidates issued comments on the impeachment of the Vice President, who has been feuding with the President and his allies.

WPS

In the same press conference, four administration senatorial candidates aired similar opinions on asserting sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.

Tolentino mentioned the reason why he joined the administration's alliance is due to his belief that the right approach in addressing the territorial dispute in the WPS is through multilateral and not bilateral efforts.

"Nagkakaisa kami ng pananaw ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na ang approach ay multilateral, hindi Philippines-China lang," Tolentino said.

(We are united with the view of President Marcos that the approach should be multilateral, not just Philippines and China.)

He also mentioned the passage of the Philippine Maritime Zones Law which he sponsored in the Senate.

Sotto, for his part, noted that he was the original proponent of the Philippine Maritime Zones Law in the Senate.

He expressed satisfaction that his proposal was enacted into law during the 19th Congress or the first half of the Marcos administration.

"We cannot leave it to the interpretation of UNCLOS. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea na kung 200 miles radius ganito ganyan. Hindi pwede, kailangan magkaroon tayo at ideklara natin. And they passed it, President Marcos signed it into law. That’s why I was thanking him for doing that. So it’s a matter of implementing it well at this point," he said.

(We needed to have a clear interpretation and for us to declare it.)

Speaking about the issue for the first time, Abalos said the Philippines should remember that the WPS was already declared to be part of our territory by the Hague and echoed Tolentino's position on multilateral approach in addressing issues in the area.

"Nanalo tayo sa tribunal and that victory is ours. Hindi pwedeng ibigay sa iba ito, atin ito. And from there, nandoon na ang multilateral approach na dapat gawin ng ating gobyerno," he said.

(We won in the tribunal and that victory is ours. It should not be given to others, this is ours. And from there, there is the multilateral approach that our government should adopt.)

Meanwhile, Tulfo said the Philippines should fight for its sovereignty over the WPS, upholding Marcos' earlier statement that his administration will not give even a square inch of its territory.

"Hindi po magbibigay kahit na isang pulgada... Thousand katipuneros died defending this country. Why shouldn't we?" he said.  (Not an inch should be given.) —RF/NB, GMA Integrated News

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