TENS of thousands of UniTeam supporters flocked to its rally in Taguig City on Sunday as presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) vice presidential candidate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, pitched their message of unity.
Supporters jampacked the Arca South open grounds in Taguig City, where the rally was organized by mayoral candidate Arnel Serafica, vice mayoral bet Janelle Serafica, and congressional candidates Michelle Anne “Che-Che” Gonzales and Allan Cerafica and Next Gen for BBM.
Marcos expressed confidence that he and Duterte will hurdle the pandemic and the country’s major problems through their call for national unity.
“You know, my union with Inday Sara has a beautiful symbol: it represents the unity we have been shouting for all this time because, please note that someone like me from the North and Inday Sara from Davao in Mindanao, two people from both ends of the Philippines, can be together; if that is possible, then there’s hope for uniting the Filipino nation,” Marcos told the cheering crowd of UniTeam supporters.
He said it was heartwarming that they were welcomed with such warmth, and that, as the campaign rolls, more and more people are listening to their message of unity, more people are closing ranks with them, and joining their advocacy for unity.
Speaking mostly in Filipino, the former senator said, “Often when I speak, I have to explain the unity that I advocate, but here in Taguig, there’s no need because you are united here! I can see and hear it from your smiles, your voices, and I am confident that the people embrace our message warmly. I know that for us Filipinos, the spirit of sacrifice and charity is in the heart, and we don’t look for trouble. Look at those beside you—everyone is smiling, no one is sulking even though they’re hungry.”
Joining Marcos, Duterte said they would unite Filipinos sans political colors to address the pandemic with dispatch and create more jobs and livelihood opportunities for Filipinos.
“If you choose us as your leaders on May 9, we will bring you on a journey to steady progress, without politics. We are not green, we are not red, we are not blue, orange; most especially, we are neither pink nor yellow. We are just one people, Filipinos have just one color. Filipinos who work hard for national progress. That is the unity of the UniTeam of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte,” Duterte said as she thanked the Seraficas, Gonzales and Next Gen for BBM for organizing the UniTeam rally.
She also reminded the voters to bring sample ballots on election day so they can better exercise their right to suffrage.
In jest, Duterte said she will ask her campaign manager, House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez who attended the rally, to provide burgers for their supporters.
“An important reminder to everyone. Our kodigo [sample ballot] is veery important; we need a sample ballot on election day because there are so many names,” Mayor Duterte said.
The Taguig City rally was the second in two days in Metro Manila for the BBM-Sara tandem and the UniTeam’s senatorial slate, who have been working hard to cement support from voters in the country’s primary vote-rich region.
Marcos and Duterte earlier graced the UniTeam rally at the Bustillos area in Sampaloc district in Manila.
In Cebu earlier, the UniTeam assembled a crowd it estimated at 300,000 supporters, with the support of its allied local and provincial officials, who promised to give Marcos and Duterte a landslide win.The strong show of support was repeated in UniTeam’s rallies in Laguna and Batangas.
Image credits: Roy Domingo