LP claims Solid North for Mar

Presidential aspirant Mar Roxas     INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

TUGUEGARAO CITY—President Aquino on Monday led a Liberal Party (LP) rally in this northern Ilocano region and again took potshots  at vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., warning voters about a resumption of a Marcos dynasty.

Despite the attacks, LP standard bearer Mar Roxas got endorsements from Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas and 22 of the neighboring province’s 23 mayors.

Earlier, Roxas got the support of Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson, the LP’s regional chair, who said a “substantial” amount of the Ilocano votes would go to Roxas, although he could not say the same for LP vice presidential bet Leni Robredo.

Robredo is up against the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Aquino, in his speech at the Cagayan National High School here, said: “They are in government. They each may rule for 21 years … No matter how great they are, isn’t a very long rule bad for the country?”

Mr. Aquino told the crowd that he would step down on June 30 unlike the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos “who jailed my father, spent two terms and even extended his stay in power for 13 more years.”

The President was accompanied by Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, and Manuel Mamba, the LP gubernatorial candidate for Cagayan.

He also announced that he had approved the construction of a road that would serve as alternate route to traffic-prone Dalton Pass in Nueva Vizcaya.

Excited by the support of Fariñas and the 22 Ilocano mayors, LP spokesperson immediately issued a statement saying The so-called “Solid North” or the Ilocano bloc of northern Luzon  will go Roxas.

In a statement on Tuesday,  LP coalition spokesperson and Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez said the administration candidate had virtually secured the support of Ilocandia.

“The Solid North is now solid for Mar,” Gutierrez said. “Everywhere, people are coming out to declare their support for Mar, and their leaders have followed their lead,” he said.

On Saturday, Roxas held sorties in Laoag City.

The regions of Ilocos and Cagayan Valley, and parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region are part of the so-called Solid North, which claims over five million voters.

Gutierrez claimed there were more indications that Roxas would win the northern vote, thanks to the support of local executives.   Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon; and DJ Yap in Manila