Vice presidential bet Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio called on her supporters to protect Presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and the BBM-Sara Uniteam on Sunday, Nov. 21.
“Anong magagawa ninyo? Tayong lahat? Anong magagawa natin? Sa ating suporta para masigurado natin, maipakita natin na hindi lang para sumuporta lang tayo pero walang mangyayari sa pangarap nating inaasam-asam. Anong mgagawa nating lahat? Kailangan masigurado natin na maprotektahan ang ating pagsuporta, protektahan natin ang ating kandidato, protektahan natin si BBM (What can you, we or all of us do? How can we make sure that the support we've shown along with the dreams we hope for will happen? What can we all do? We have to make sure that we protect the support we've given, we have to protect our candidates, we have to protect BBM),” Duterte-Carpio told the crowd during the ceremonial kickoff of the BBM-Sara Uniteam nationwide unity ride in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
The incumbent Davao City Mayor said she is confident that Marcos’ political experience in local governance and national legislation will help him perform his work as the next President of the country.
“Bakit si Bongbong Marcos ang pinili ko na maka-partner? Unang-una he is a former governor, hindi natin maitatanggi o kailangan pagtalunan ‘yung karanasan niya bilang governor, parang ako, local chief executive. Pangawala, meron din siyang experience sa House of Representatives, naging congressman siya at naging senador siya, pinili ninyo at binoto ninyo kaya naniniwala ako na yan ang tutulong sa kanya para magawa niya ang trabaho sa pagkapangulo ng Pilipinas (Why did I choose Bongbong Marcos as my partner? First of all, he is a former governor, we cannot deny or argue his experience as governor. Just like me, he is a local chief executive. Second, he has experience in the House of Representatives, he was a congressman and he also became a senator because you choose and voted for him that's why I believe that these will help him do his job as President of the Philippines),” Duterte-Carpio said.
“There are times when we find ourselves to be the leader, but sometimes in our lives we need to stand behind another leader,” she added.
"BBM-Sara Uniteam nationwide synchronized caravan was a positively-charged, voluntary mass action for national unity, peace and prosperity," Marcos said during the same occasion.
“Napagtagumpayan ng Pilipino ang digmaan, ang mga bagyo, ang mga sakuna, ang mga krisis dahil sa pagkakaisa (The Filipino people overcame war, storms, disasters, and crisis because of our unity),” added the former lawmaker who believes that the country will overcome the pandemic through unity which he said is inherent in every Filipino.
Aside from Davao City, Tagum City, and Davao del Norte, throngs of BBM-Sara Uniteam supporters from 15 provinces and 30 cities from Abra, Northern Luzon, Bicol Region, Calabarzon, Visayas, and Metro Manila joined the simultaneous “unity ride” on Sunday.
Marcos and Duterte-Carpio are currently leading the way in the latest Presidential and Vice Presidential surveys conducted by various poll research firms. (Melvin Sarangay)