Marcos lures Cebu’s poorest with promise of change, progress

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Three days before the second presidential debate here, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr visited some of the poorest communities in the city on Thursday, March 17.

This is the vice presidential candidate’s first campaign sortie in the vote-rich province, known to be a bailiwick of the ruling  Liberal Party.

Speaking in a short program at the community hall of Suba, Marcos promised the residents that he will unite the country should he become vice president.

“I am not just campaigning myself. I am campaigning for the unity of the Filipino people. I believe we need to be united so we can see the change we long for, progress, and the betterment of our lives,” Marcos said in Filipino to the Cebuano audience. 

“As I go around the Philippines, I see the hardships of our countrymen. Though we have solutions to our problems, we need to help each other. Only Filipinos can love their fellow Filipinos,” he added. 

After visiting Suba, Marcos headed to Sawang Calero which, aside from being among the city’s poorest areas, is also flood-prone. Residents are evacuated whenever there are impending extreme weather conditions. Eviction is also a concern for the residents given that the villages are largely slum areas. 

Marcos did not mention any specific solutions to the residents. 

Will Cebuanos vote for Marcos?

About a hundred Suba residents braved the afternoon heat to welcome Marcos.

Adela Gonzales said she supports Marcos because she believes the martial law years were the best years of the country.

“He is a very good leader like his father. I’ve been a solid Marcos supporter since the 1980s. I hope most Cebuanos will vote for Bongbong,” the 63-year-old said. 

Another Suba resident, Josephine Cubar, is still undecided on her vice presidential candidate. She said she is leaning towards Marcos, but only because of his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

“I might vote for Bongbong but I still haven’t decided. If I will vote for him, it’s only because he is the son of Marcos. Many things have been said about the martial law years, but I believe it is the best years of the country,” the 54-year-old said.

Marcos is set to visit 3 more villages in the city that day – Barangays Santo Niño, Kalubihan, and Carbon.

Though the reception for the senator in the communities seemed promising, it was not an assurance that he would get the coveted Cebuano vote.

National candidates have been flocking to Cebu, which has the highest number of registered voters in the country. According to figures released by the Commission on Elections, Cebu now has 2.7 million registered voters, up by 200,000 from 2.5 million in 2013.

In 2004, then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo credited her narrow win over the late Fernando Poe Jr to her victory in Cebu. – Rappler.com