President Marcos: “Let us not allow the return of darkness and terror”
CARMEN, Davao del Norte (MindaNews/16 Feb) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took another jab at the Dutertes as he urged the public during the proclamation rally Saturday of the senatorial slate of the Alyansa para sa Bagong to never allow the return of the “panahon ng dilim” (time of darkness) and “panahon ng lagim (time of terror).
“Huwag tayong papayag na bumalik ang Pilipinas sa panahon ng dilim. Huwag tayong papayag na ang Pilipinas ay babalik sa panahon ng lagim” (Let us not allow the return of the time of darkness. Let us not allow for the Philippines to return to the time of terror), Marcos said in his ten minute speech at the Carmen Municipal Gymnasium, some 50 kilometers from Davao City Hall.
The martial law period under the president’s father, Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., the President who declared martial law in 1972 and was ousted by People Power in 1976 was also referred to as a time of darkness and terror.
Marcos said his candidates have been in public service as former senators, former congressmen and former mayors. Although he did not name the Dutertes, Marcos was apparently referring to the former President, Rodrigo Duterte and his former UniTeam partner, Vice President Sara Duterte.
The former President during the proclamation rally of his PDP-Laban senatorial slate last Thursday joked about killing 15 senators so that there would be more vacancies and his candidates could get in.
Reacting to the Duterte’s statement, Marcos said: “Narinig lang natin noong isang araw, wala daw pag-asa – siguro sa kanila wala silang pag-asa kaya papatay na lang sila ng 15 na senador (We just heard the other day that they said there’s no hope—maybe for them, they have no hope, so they just want to kill 15 senators).
“… Sabagay mahirap naman ‘yung ibang tao ang iniisip lang nila pagka – ang kaisa-isang solusyon sa lahat ng problema ay pumatay pa ng Pilipino. Nakakapagtaka kung bakit ganoon (Anyway, it’s difficult when some people think that the only solution to every problem is to kill fellow Filipinos. It’s puzzling why they think that way.)
He said his senatorial slate, eight of whom are either returning or reelectionist, have nothing to do with extrajudicial killings, are not in connivance with those who amassed wealth during the pandemic, are not “sipsip sa Tsina” but will stand up to China for the alleged abuses committed against our fisherfolk and our sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, and are not supporters of the Philippines becoming a center of crime, a center for abusing women and a center for POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations)
Inaudible, no reaction
But the crowd, however, could not understand what the President was saying. His ten-minute speech had very poor audio. Reporters who covered the rally could not also hear clearly what the President was saying and had to rely on the official transcript issued by the Presidential Communications Office.
The audio was crisp during the senatorial candidates’ speeches but not during the President’s.
MindaNews asked rally participants who moved out from near the stage why they left while the President was talking “Dili maklaro (He’s inaudible),” the said.
They also complained of the heat. “Igang (too hot)” while some just want to be near the gate to avoid the queue.
Rival teams
Most of those who wore white shirts were from the “Basta Team Aldu, Walang Iwanan!,” apparently supporters of gubernatorial candidate and incumbent Davao del Norte second district representative Aldu Dujali, who is under Lakas-CMD party — a party led by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, cousin of Marcos Jr.
Dujali’s opponent, however, is Governor Edwin Jubahib who is seeking a third term. Jubahib is a member of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) which Marcos chairs.
Police Regional Office – Region 11 spokesperson Catherine Dela Rey has yet to respond to MindaNews’ query on the rally attendees, but IBC-13, a government-owned network, claimed that the rally was attended by 40,000.
Buses of supporters
Outside the Carmen town hall, around 40 buses and UV express vans were parked, mostly Metro Shuttle buses.
MindaNews asked rally participants where their buses came from but they would not answer.
Some buses had tarpaulins such as “Lakas-CMD Davao de Oro.” Some had stocks of balloons and shirts inside the buses, apparently intended for the rally.
Before the president campaigned for his senatorial slate, Marcos visited Tagum City as a guest speaker for the Trabaho sa Bagong Pilipinas, a job fair organized by the Department of Labor and Employment.
Senatorial slate
Marcos’ senatorial bets reelectionist senators Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Lito Lapid, and former senators Ping Lacson, Manny Pacquiao and Vic Sotto; former congressman and resigned Local Governments Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr., Makati mayor Abby Binay; ACT-CIS party list Rep. Erwin Tulfo and Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar.
The rally was expected to end with a performance by the Cebu-based band “Oh! Caraga” at around 6:15 p.m., but man of those who attended the rally had rushed to the exit gate. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
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