Campaign Trail: Where the candidates are, Feb 8-14

MANILA, Philippines (10th UPDATE) – This is it! The campaign for national positions officially started this week – on Tuesday, February 9, specifically – and the lineup of provinces and cities that candidates visited gave us a glimpse of how their teams are prioritizing certain areas.

Among the “presidentiables,” independent Grace Poe had an interesting campaign kickoff day, if only for the fact that on the same day she launched her campaign in Manila, the Supreme Court was hearing for the 4th day oral arguments on her disqualification. 

This was how February 8-14 looked like:

 

Monday, February 8

Most candidates took some time off a day before the campaigns kickoff, but at least two had sorties on this day.

• PDP-Laban presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte did the rounds in Tarlac City and Concepcion in Tarlac.
• Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential bet Leni Robredo, a widow, was the keynote speaker in the 1^st Quezon City Solo Parents Summit at 9 am at the Amoranto Theater. 

 

Tuesday, February 9

Three presidential bets launched their campaigns from Metro Manila; two, from the provinces. Click on the links below to read Rappler’s full advancers explaining the candidates’ choice of venues.

• LP’s Manuel Roxas II and Robredo officially started their campaign at 10 am in Roxas City, Capiz, his home city. Before that, they held a press conference at 8:30 am. After the rally, they proceeded to Iloilo.
• Miriam Defensor Santiago and running mate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr kicked off their campaign in the morning in Batac, Ilocos Norte, the latter’s home town.
• Vice President Jejomar Binay, the standard-bearer of the United Nationalist Alliance, his running mate Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, and their senatorial candidates had their proclamation rally at 3 pm in Welfareville, Mandaluyong, the city next to Binay’s Makati.
• Poe and running mate Francis Escudero kicked off their campaign also at 4 at Plaza Miranda in Manila.
• Duterte and vice presidential bet Alan Peter Cayetano had their launch at 4 pm in Tondo, Manila.
• LP senatorial candidate Joel Villanueva launched his campaign at 7:30 am at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City. Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte were present to show their support. Villaniueva’s supporters had a prayer rally and zumba session.
• Former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, a common candidate of Poe’s slate and UNA, launched his campaign in his home city of Malaybalay, Bukidnon, in the mornig. His wife Audrey Tan-Zubiri will represent him in the simultaneous proclamation rallies of the presidential aspirants in Metro Manila in the afternoon.

 

Wednesday, February 10

• Duterte was in Tuguegarao City.
• Binay was in Laguna.
• Poe and Escudero were in Toledo City and Camotes Island in Cebu province with senatorial bet Lorna Kapunan.
• Marcos was in Ilocos Sur.

 

Thursday, February 11

• Binay had rally in Cavite City.
• Poe went to Ilocos Norte, but her running mate Escudero was in Ilocos Sur, while senatorial candidates Vicente Sotto III, Sherwin Gatchalian, Neri Colmenares, and Toots Ople were in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat. The senatorial bets also went to Kidapawan City and Kabacan in North Cotabato.
  
• Roxas joined a League of Municipalities event in Manila.
• Marcos was in La Union.

 

Friday, February 12 

• Binay was in Batangas.
• Roxas and Robredo started the Bicol leg of their campaign, appropriately in Naga City, Camarines Sur. Robredo’s late husband Jesse was long-time mayor of Naga, while Leni is currently congresswoman of Camarines Sur’s 3rd district.
• Poe had a sortie in Dagupan City and a rally in San Carlos City in Pangasinan.

• Marcos visited the following towns and cities in Pangasinan: Sison, Pozorrubio, Manaoag, San Jacinto, San Fabian, Mangaldan, Mapandan, Sta Barbara, Malasiqui, San Carlos City, Calasiao, and Dagupan City.

 

Saturday, February 13

• Duterte held a rally at the New City Hall of Tagum Apokon, Tagum City, Davao del Norte
• Marcos continued his sorties in Pangasinan.
• Binay visited Marikina City and Rizal province.

 

 

Sunday, February 14

• Binay had a sortie in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
• Santiago and Marcos introduced their adopted senatorial candidates at the Ynares Sports Complex in Pasig.
• In the evening, Duterte was scheduled to attend a thanksgiving and worship presentation of his known friend Pastor Apollo Quiboloy at the Open Field KJC compound in Buhangin, Davao City.

This page was constantly updated throughout the week as advisories from candidates and groups that support them came in. – Rappler.com