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ILOILO, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo visit Panay and Negros islands to say “thank you” while Ferdinand Marcos Jr. holds one of three campaigns in a province considered as his chief rival’s bailiwick.

With days left in the campaign, the two leading presidential candidates in the 2022 race find themselves in Panay island on Tuesday, May 3.

For Vice President Leni Robredo, it is a quick visit to Sta. Barbara and Iloilo City for a pit stop event, a caravan, and a province-wide house-to-house pasasalamat.

There is no grand rally in the province where the “Olympinks” began…that crowds of tens of thousands – even hundreds of thousands – became the norm for the Robredo campaign.

Instead, it is a thank you to the volunteers who’ve tirelessly campaigned through house-to-house efforts to convince their kasimanwas to choose Robedro and her running mate Senator Kiko Pangilinan.

LENI ROBREDO: Lahat pong ikot ko ngayong araw, pasasalamat. Dahil alam ko po kahit wala kami dito ni Senator Kiko, talagang lahat kayo nagpapagod…. Kahit wala na kami dito, tuloy-tuloy ang pag house-to-house ninyo. Paminsan iniisip ko, bakit kaya ‘yung eleksiyon na ito, kakaiba? Kakaiba siya kasi ngayon natin nakikita kung gaano ka desidido ang ordinaryong Pilipino makipaglaban.

(All my stops today are my way of saying “thank you.” Because I know that even after Senator Kiko and I left Iloilo, it is you who worked tirelessly. Even after we left, your house-to-house efforts continued. Sometimes, I wonder – what makes this election different? It’s different because we see ordinary Filipinos determined to fight for what’s right.)

Iloilo City and province are considered bailiwicks of the Liberal Party, the once-ruling party that Robredo still chairs but whose colors she no longer carries.

Iloilo province, with the city, is the 8th most vote-rich in the country – 1.6 million votes are at stake here.

In 2016, Robredo, then a newbie legislator from Camarines Sur, won huge in both Iloilo City and province, getting over 711,000 votes with Marcos Jr., then a senator, settling with just over 128,000 votes.

Marcos Jr. disputed Robredo’s 2016 win – but was rejected with finality by the Supreme Court.

In 2022, Marcos Jr. and Robredo square off again – this time, for the presidency.

It’s in Iloilo where Marcos Jr., his running mate Sara Duterte, and his Uniteam Senate slate hold their miting de avance for the Visayas – the first in three stops around the country.

Although Robredo has the support of the province’s incumbent Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. and Iloilo city mayor Jerry Treñas… there are clans in the province – those who dominate politics in several districts – who are supporting the late dictator’s son.

The Garins of Iloilo are host of the Tuesday miting de avance.

Guimbal town is where Marcos Jr. and Duterte were supposed to campaign the first time they visited in February 2022 but that rally was scrapped because its original venue was within school grounds.

But for their return in May, it’s much grander – helicopters fly by to throw confetti, the alliance’s usual lineup of artists beguile the crowd, and their almost complete slate of senators – including one who’s already withdrawn from the race – are in full force.

BONGBONG MARCOS JR: Kaya pagdating ng Lunes, ‘pag inyong pagboto…ipaalam, ipaalam ninyo kung ano ang tunay na tinig ng Pilipino. Iparinig natin sa lahat, dito sa Pilipinas, iparinig po natin sa lahat, sa buong mundo, kung ano man ang nasa puso ng Pilipino…

(So on Monday, when you vote, let the true voice of the Filipino be heard. Let everyone in the Philippines hear it. Let everyone in the world hear whatever is inside the hearts of every Filipino.)

While Robredo is dominant in Western Visayas, it’s Marcos Jr. who has led opinion polls in the rest of the country.

It has always been a challenging race for the opposition presidential bet since Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte – who previously led opinion polls – joined forces.

The last time both candidates barnstormed Iloilo, their paths almost crossed.

When Robredo visited, she joined the province in commemorating the revolution which toppled the late dictator Marcos, father and namesake of her chief 2022 rival.

The province’s incumbents – themselves witness to the struggles under Marcos’ Martial Law – say Ilonggos do not forget.

Robredo banks on that and what she says is the Ilonggos’ track record of choosing the right candidates.

No matter who you are or where you stand, every presidential election feels like it’s the most crucial. 2022, no doubt, feels as much.

There’s a pandemic – that’s still very much a threat – to worry about.

The Philippines and the rest of the world continue to try to recover from the economic woes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Debt is at an all time high.

To the average Filipino, this means worrying about whether they’ll find jobs, have food to eat, and money to send their children to school.

For Robredo – who’s been the target of relentless disinformation – the main promise is that of a clean and honest government. Marcos Jr. – hounded by the sins of his father and controversies of his own – says unity is key to solving the country’s woes.

It’s down to two. And in a few days – the Philippines’ direction for the next 6 years – will be put to a vote. – Rappler.com