CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Marcos in Isko country Manila for NCR consolidation

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and running mate Sara Duterte will be in Bustillos, Manila on Saturday, April 23, for a Uniteam rally in the heart of Isko Moreno country.

The rally site is just 1.3 kilometers away from Malacañang Palace, and 9.7 kilometers away from Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay where Vice President Leni Robredo is holding a rally at the same time.

Both rallies are a battle for the big catch that is the National Capital Region (NCR), home to 7.3 million voters.

The capital Manila is the 2nd most vote rich city, next to Quezon City, with 1.1 million voters. Marcos won Manila and all other 15 cities in the NCR in the 2016 vice presidential race.

Pre-program starts at 3 pm, and the main event starts 5 pm.

LATEST UPDATES

Apr 23, 2022 3:05 PM PHT

Stage set for Marcos-Duterte rally

Stage is set for the Manila rally of Marcos and Duterte along J. Figueras Street in Bustillos, Manila. Manila mayoralty bet Alex Lopez is Uniteam's host. Pre-program ongoing, rally set at 5pm. #PHVote #WeDecide | via @lianbuan pic.twitter.com/QcOaqcRu35
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) April 23, 2022

Apr 23, 2022 3:00 PM PHT

WATCH: Updates from backstage at Bustillos rally as of 3 pm

Rappler.com

Apr 23, 2022 2:50 PM PHT

Rally hosts give shoutout to vloggers, says they are giving the ‘true’ news

Lian Buan

The hosts here give a shoutout to vloggers, and say “sila ang tunay na nagbibigay ng balita.” In the Marcos campaign, vloggers have been given preferential treatment over institutional media.
— Lian Buan (@lianbuan) April 23, 2022

Apr 23, 2022 12:23 PM PHT

The importance of NCR

NCR is a big catch because it is home to the number 1 and number 2 vote-rich cities, Quezon City and Manila.

Marcos Jr. won all of NCR in 2016, and he still leads the region in the last March Pulse Asia survey 64-17 against Robredo.

He still leads though he dropped 2 points, and Robredo dropped one point. Even Manila Mayor Isko Moreno dropped one point in NCR.

This Manila rally is the 14th NCR sortie of the Uniteam tandem.

Apr 23, 2022 12:21 PM PHT

Crucial endorsement in Manila Hotel the night before

Governors and mayors from provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) flew to Manila to sign a pact with Marcos Jr. at the Manila Hotel Friday night, April 22.

Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan pledged his support for Marcos during the event, called as historic by the organizers. Before Tan, the governors of BARMM provinces Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, and Lanao del Sur had endorsed Marcos Jr.

The branding of BARMM helps cover the historical wounds inflicted on the Moros by the dictatorial rule of Marcos’ father.

Saturday morning, April 23, Robredo was in Camp Darapanan in Maguindanao for her own historic and crucial endorsement, because for the first time ever, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) whose leaders head the official BARMM government, endorsed a presidential candidate through their political party, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party.

BARMM, was the result of years-long peace talks with the MILF spanning presidents, culminating in the creation of the autonomous region under President Rodrigo Duterte.