Davao journos ask Roxas: Will you campaign in city too?

Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas had only been in Davao Region for a few hours but Davao City-based media immediately wanted to know: was he or wasn’t he planning to hold a campaign rally in the city, bailiwick and center of support for one of his rivals, city mayor Rodrigo Duterte?

It was among the first few questions asked of Roxas in a chance interview with reporters on Tuesday, March 8, on the sidelines of a visit to a cooperative-owned banana processing plant in Davao del Norte.

The LP standard-bearer was first asked if he had activities in the cities itself, to which Roxas said he did with “non-con” groups, meaning supporters outside of political organizations. Prior to his visit to Kapalong, Roxas was also in Davao City for a radio interview over Radyo Bombo. 

Roxas said he was “not yet” going to hold a campaign rally during this particular visit but said that he “eventually” would.

The visit to Davao comes just a day after he attended an event in Makati City, bailiwick of presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Asked if these trips were meant to consolidate support from other contenders’ bailiwicks, Roxas immediately downplayed his campaign schedule.

“Hindi ko tinitingnan ito bilang pag-aari ng Duterte or ang Makati, pag-aari ng mga Binay. Pag-aari ito ng sambayanang Pilipino, pag-aari ito ng ating mga kababayan. Sila ang nakatira dito. Kinabukasan nila ang ating ipinaglalaban at isinusulong. Kaya wala naman itong ibang dahilan kundi kausapin ang ating mga kababayan at ipepresenta sa kanila ang mga plataporma, mga programa. At natutuwa ako na napakainit ng pagtanggap sa akin ng ating mga kababayan dito,” he said.

(I don’t see Davao as owned by Duterte or Makati as owned by Binay. This is the Filipino people’s turf. They live here. It’s their future that we’re fighting for and pushing forward. So there’s no other reason behind my visits but simply to talk to our countrymen, to present my platform and programs. And I’m happy because of the warm welcome here.)

Roxas visited 3 provinces in the Davao Region on Tuesday, attending forums with local leaders and gracing the founding anniversary of Compostela Valley province.

If latest preference polls are to be believed, the region is overwhelmingly for Duterte (some 79% of those surveyed by Laylo). Roxas trails behind with a distant 11% voters’ preference. – Rappler.com