NAGTIPUNAN: Aksyon Demokratiko on Thursday launched a two-prong offensive against former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., hitting the presidential race frontrunner with direct attacks, and a soft appeal to voters in Marcos bailiwicks Quirino and Isabela.
In this town where the Marcos family has been known for decades, Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso appealed to Marcos Jr.’s supporters with a candid request: “Consider voting for me even if I am not your regional neighbor, even if I do not speak your regional language.”
Instead of saying he is a better choice than the candidate of the so-called “Solid North,” the Manila Mayor laid out his achievements in the capital city and interspersed these with jokes to the crowd’s delight.
“For example, there are five of you in the family, you have five votes. You can give three votes to him and the remaining two to me,” he told voters.
“You have followed your heart, and you also gave me some consideration... But if you really don’t want this division of votes, you can just give all 5 to me. Just kidding,” he quipped.
When asked about his chances of getting a slice of votes from Marcos’ “Solid North,” Domagoso said: “I always believe that the people have not decided until the elections have not yet happened.”
“We are here because I believe that while the people in the streets say that this is the territory of a certain candidate, there is nothing wrong in wooing our countrymen”.
In 2016, when Marcos Jr. ran for vice president, Isabela delivered 504,463 votes for the late dictator’s scion, giving him a 417,000 edge against then-congresswoman Leni Robredo.
In Quirino, Marcos Jr. got 49,158 votes, some 34,000 votes away from Robredo, while neighboring Cagayan province boosted Marcos’ numbers by 324,467, with the Liberal Party’s bet lagging behind by some 320,000 votes.
Despite these numbers from the last national elections, Domagoso said he still keeps his “wishful thinking.”
“I gave them a clear computation or maybe I even met them half way so that I would not cross some of their feelings,” he said.
“I’ll do the same over and over again. Even if the beef shank is hard, it will eventually soften. I will just keep on boiling and boiling it,” he said.
And , the Security, Justice and Peace Cabinet Cluster (SJPCC) said Friday that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has maintained the current composition of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).
In a statement, the SJPCC said Duterte approved its recommendation on February 21.
“The SJPCC is pleased to announce that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had approved on 21 February 2022 its recommendation to maintain the status quo on the current composition of the BTA,” it said.
According to SJPCC, this is to address the fact that there are only three months left before the newly-elected administration takes over in the government.
“This period will provide the incumbent members of the BTA the time to complete their crucial tasks,” it added.
Under Resolution No. 173 in October 2021, the BTA asked Duterte to let the current BTA members continue with their tasks to preserve their gains in programs, projects and legislative measures.
Also, the BTA cited the diverse ethnic-cultural and professional background, policy advocacies and accomplishments, and the extensive training of its current members.
Under Resolution No. 209 dated February 15, the BTA also requested Duterte to prioritize the reappointment of its members who are nominated by the national government to “ensure a smooth transition process without the possibility of any political disruptions taking place”.
Duterte also approved the 41 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) nominees for the BTA as submitted by BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, the SJPCC said.
Likewise, the SJPCC noted that the President has the authority to replace those members who may be elected into office during the 2022 national elections.
“Given these major accomplishments, its current membership must not only be given due recognition, but must also be given the chance to complete what it has started,” the SJPCC said.
“By keeping the status quo in the BTA, we are not only building on and sustaining the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process; we are laying the foundations where genuine development and long-lasting peace can take root and flourish, and where our Moro brothers and sisters can look ahead to a better and brighter future,” it added.
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