LAGUNA, Philippines – He conferred with them in a private meeting before an early-morning “grand rally” on the capitol grounds, introduced them as “president” and “vice president” while sharing the same stage, and then hosted lunch for his province’s visitors. Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez pulled out all the stops – save for an explicit endorsement as presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos Jr. and running mate vice presidential bet Sara Duterte barnstormed the vote-rich province on Friday, March 11

The March 11 visit was their first during the official campaign period and the second since they formalized their 2022 alliance. In their previous visit, Hernandez also welcomed the pair.

Laguna is a crucial province for any national candidate. It is home to more than two million registered voters and is the 4th most vote-rich province in the Philippines. So even for survey front-runners Marcos Jr and Duterte, it’s important to woo a province like Laguna. 

Laguna is also crucial because of how votes were spread out in 2016. 

While Marcos Jr. won in Laguna over Vice President Leni Robredo, it wasn’t exactly a landslide – Marcos Jr. got 441,154 votes compared to Robredo’s 390,541. Even in the presidential race, which President Duterte dominated nationally, the winning margin in Laguna wasn’t massive. The older Duterte got 454,593 votes while his closest rival in the province, Senator Grace Poe, got 386,241. 

Hernandez, a member of PDP-Laban, is seeking his final consecutive term and is being challenged by Laguna 3rd District Representative Sol Aragones. PDP-Laban is chaired by Sara’s father, the incumbent president. Neither PDP-Laban nor Duterte have picked a presidential candidate, although the party has “adopted” Sara as its vice presidential bet. 

But speaking at the first of two campaign rallies in Laguna, Hernandez said it was his “honor” to introduce to Laguna “President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.” and “Vice President Inday Sara Duterte.” The crowd in Santa Cruz town began arriving early in the morning, with long lines to claim free campaign merchandise forming as early as 6 am. 

Entertainers – members of the organization “Artists for Sara” – started the program with dance numbers, games, and songs. The then-small crowd gathered in front of the stage ahead of the Uniteam slate’s arrival was loudest at 8 in the morning when hosts and entertainers were offering free T-shirts as “prizes.” 

After visiting the provincial capitol, both Marcos Jr. and Duterte joined Uniteam Senate bets on stage. Vice Governor Karen Agapay and 18 mayors from the province also joined Marcos Jr., Duterte, and their Senate bets in Sta. Cruz. 

Uniteam is the alliance between three national parties and one regional party – all of which are headed by old names in Philippine politics. The alliance brought together two of the leading candidates, based on early 2022 preference polls. Before Marcos Jr. led early surveys for the presidency, it was Sara Duterte who topped reference surveys.  

After a Marcos Jr.-led caravan from Biñan to Santa Rosa, the Uniteam bets again held another rally at the city’s indoor Sports Complex. 

Mixing it up 

A noticeable shift in the Laguna sorties was the time allocated to performers in both rallies. While it’s common for political rallies in the Philippines to feature songs, dance, and prizes, popular artists weren’t as big of a component in their previous rallies around the country. 

In both Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa, it was rapper Andrew E. who excited the crowd the most, as he performed his biggest hits, teased prizes for whichever section of the indoor complex would be loudest, and even hosted an impromptu TikTok dance showdown. His performance, following a medley by “Artists for Sara,” would lead to Duterte’s speech. 

Toni Gonzaga, the controversial TV star who had also hosted the Uniteam campaign kickoff, performed “Titanium” before it was finally Marcos Jr.’s turn to speak. 

Neither Marcos Jr. nor Duterte deviated from their usual campaign stump speeches – the Davao City mayor made a pitch for her chosen presidential bet while emphasizing the need to create jobs, and focus on economic recovery following COVID-19 lockdown. Duterte also cracked her now go-to line to encourage their supporters to respond to online “cancellation” by throwing a “Uniteam burger” their way.   

Marcos Jr., while sticking mostly to his stump speech, promised to continue “Build, Build, Build,” the tagline for President Rodrigo Duterte’s infrastructure program. Marcos Jr. also promised to focus on bringing electricity rates down and working on the country’s digital infrastructure and internet connectivity. 

Unlike their rivals for the two highest posts of the land, the Marcos Jr. and Duterte tandem has yet to unveil a detailed platform. Most of what media and their followers know about their plans are via media interviews, electoral forums, or the occasional post by the candidate themself. Marcos Jr., for instance, has suggested bringing back programs introduced by his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. 

Duterte, meanwhile, has touched on continuing the gains of her father’s administration, even as she speaks of the promise to rise again (babangon muli) after the struggles of over two years in a global pandemic. 

Their biggest pitch, of course, is “unity.” Marcos Jr. has said they’re pushing for unity because it’s through unity that Filipinos overcome crisis and disaster. 

While a “platform” of unity is sorely lacking for their critics, the promise of unity to bring back the “good old days” is what many of their supporters cheer hardest for. Marcos Jr has been invoking his father in the 2022 campaign.

“Bagong Lipunan,” a Martial Law anthem, is played upon his arrival and at the end of most campaign rallies. While it’s a rousing song for supporters of the two Marcos men, those who were tortured during the dark days of Martial Law remember it as the sinister song that served as backdrop to their torment. – Rappler.com