BACOLOD CITY - “It is not giving a good reflection of the province (Negros Occidental).”
This was the reaction of Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer after some supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo reportedly threw flyers at former Senator Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr. during the latter’s UniTeam caravan in the province on Wednesday, Feb. 23.
Robredo and Marcos are running for president in the May 2022 elections.
Ferrer recalled that he was beside Marcos when they passed by the headquarters of Robredo in Talisay City where the incident happened.
A video showing such action has been making the rounds on social media.
In her Facebook post, the girl allegedly involved in the incident, said “we were exercising our right to free speech and were out of the way when Marcos Jr.’s bodyguards started pushing us to the side.”
“This act of violence caused the flyers held up by one of the dissenters to fly towards BBM hitting his face. I say he deserves it,” she said.
“After what Negros has gone through, the Philippines struggle(s), the violence towards dissenters then and today,” she added.
Despite such behavior, Ferrer said they have no plans of filing a case against the girl, who went viral on social media after what happened. “We will not stoop down to their level,” he added.
"Padag-a niyo lang bla insakto ang inyo kandidato kag kampanyahi insakto, kay padag-on ko gid ya ang akon, (Just let your candidates win and campaign for them in a proper way, because I will let my candidate win)," the vice governor said.
Ferrer revealed that 29 mayors instead of 28 out of 31 local chief executives in the province expressed their support to the tandem of Marcos and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Six congressmen and 11 board members were also present during the meeting with the members of the UniTeam headed by Marcos in a hotel here last Wednesday, according to Ferrer.