Admin bets stage festive final push before elections

Supporters of the administration-backed senatorial candidates flock to the Philippine Sports Arena in Pasig City for the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) final campaign rally on Saturday (May 11). (Photo by CHRISTIA MARIE RAMOS / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — One final push.

In an event that looked like the most festive exit from the campaign trail one has ever seen, pro-administration senatorial bets held a mitín de avance in Pasig City on Friday, less two days before the midterm polls on May 13.

Re-electionist Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, Maguindanao Rep. Zajib “Dong” Mangudadatu, former chief of police Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, former presidential aide Christopher “Bong” Go, and former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino of the PDP-Laban senatorial slate pulled in supporters from different parts of the country into one venue.

Guest candidates also chose to close their respective campaigns with the five-man senatorial ticket of PDP-Laban.

Among those in attendance were Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III, veteran singer-songwriter Freddie Aguilar, and re-electionist Senators Sonny Angara, JV Ejercito and Cynthia Villar.

Senate rookies

Both Dela Rosa and Go are venturing into uncharted territory with the May 13 elections being their first foray into politics.

“Excited na medyo kinakabahan po ako first time po ako sumabak sa ganitong eleksyon. Isa lang po akong probinsyano na di naman po ako anak ng dating pangulo o may apelyido talaga,” Go told reporters behind he went inside the venue.

[I’m excited and a bit nervous because it’s my first time to get into an election like this. I’m just someone from the province who’s not even the child of a former president or someone with a prominent surname.]

Meanwhile, Dela Rosa denied that senatorial candidates backed by the administration would make decisions in the Senate dictated by Malacañang should they win.

“It’s very different thing to be a senator who’s very cooperative, very supportive of the programs of Malacañang and to be a senator being dictated to by Malacañang. I’m in the first category,” he said, speaking partly in Filipino. “We will support the president all the way. That’s what we have agreed on. That’s our goal because we want to improve our country.”

Final song-filled stage

Campaign sorties organized by PDP-Laban have always been filled with tunes sung by its candidates. Their last one was no exception.

Campaign jingles were sang live, with comedian Bayani Agbayani and child star Alonzo Muhlach performing Go’s song.

The young Muhlach also coaxed Go, Dela Rosa, Marcos, and Alunan to dance with him.

Go also brought on stage actors Philip Salvador, Robin Padilla and Cesar Montano for another song number.

Meanwhile, no less than the party chairman, President Rodrigo Duterte, capped off the event with a speech as he tried to boost his candidates bid one last time.

‘Reasonable, successful’ campaign

According to Pimentel, PDP-Laban’s president, their three-month long campaign had been a “reasonable” and “successful” one.

“Looking back, our campaign was not perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. All our mistakes were acceptable. So this has been a reasonable and successful campaign,” he said, speaking in Filipino.

“We made sure that the PDP-Laban senatorial ticket would visit all the regions. At least, we can say that. We might not have visited all the provinces, but we were able to go to all the regions as a ticket,” he added.

Pro-administration candidates dominated the winning circle in recent pre-election surveys.

Over 60 million Filipinos are expected to cast their votes on May 13.

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)