CEBU CITY – For this group coming from various sectoral organizations, it is not “never again” but “Marcos pa rin.”
About 150 individuals on Thursday, October 7, held a motorcade then gathered at the foot of the old Mandaue-Mactan Bridge to support the presidential bid of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“We are here to show our support to Bongbong Marcos. It is not never again, it is Marcos pa rin because he has what it takes to become a good president,” said Chito Aragon, one of the convenors of the Bongbong Marcos for President Movement 2022.
Aragon said among the members of the group are habal-habal (motorcycle-for-fire) drivers, vendors and the beneficiaries of the housing programs of former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
Present during the launching of the movement were the beneficiaries of Imelda’s housing program in Barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City.
“The new generation probably doesn’t know that the land where their houses are built became fully paid and titled because of Imelda,” said Dione Cañete.
Another convenor, former Cebu City Councilor Erik Espina, son of former Cebu Governor Rene Espina, said the Martial Law that former President Ferdinand Marcos declared 49 years ago cannot be used against Bongbong.
“This concept of never again is becoming generic. Because some people say “here comes another Marcos” but declaring a Martial Law is in the 1935 Constitution to save the state,” said Espina.
Espina pointed out that it is also not fair to force Bongbong to criticize the declaration of Martial Law.
“It is very hard for a son to speak ill of his parents. It is our culture that we respect our parents,” said Espina.
Espina said holding the launching of the movement at the foot of the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge symbolized the former President’s contribution to the Cebuanos.
Espina said it was in the 1969 presidential elections when President Marcos promised the Cebuanos that he will connect Mactan to Mandaue.
“My father at the time, after being the governor, became the Secretary of Public Works and Transportation Communications. He supervised the construction of the bridge,” said Espina.
Espina added that President Marcos did a lot for Cebu that earned him more votes than the Cebuano presidential candidate Sergio Osmeña Jr.
“It’s partly because of this (bridge) that Marcos won in Cebu by 40,000 votes against the favorite son which was Serging Osmena Jr. Can you imagine the Cebuanos voting for an Ilocano? Because promises were fulfilled,” said Espina.