STA MARIA, Bulacan—Gubernatorial aspirant Vice Governor Willy Sy-Alvarado remains confident that his constituents will vote for aspiring president Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. despite reports that more Bulaceños showed up during the campaign rally of the latter's main rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, over the weekend.
Alvarado's main basis for his prediction? Marcos Jr.'s victory in the vote-rich province in the 2016 vice presidential race over Robredo.
He also said his constituents would side with those being persecuted, in this case referring to Marcos Jr.
"Sa paglilibot ko po lalo na sa malayong lugar, Bongbong Marcos po. Unang una, inaapi nila. Ayaw ng mga tao inaapi (Based on what I've seen on the ground and in far-flung areas, they want Bongbong Marcos. First of all, because he is being persecuted. Our people don't want their fellow man to be persecuted)," he told reporters in an ambush interview.
Alvarado endorsed Marcos Jr.'s bid for the presidency during the latter's campaign rally at the Guiguinto Municipal Oval in Guiguinto, Bulacan.
Meanwhile, Alvarado's rival for the gubernatorial race, reelectionist Governor Daniel Fernando, endorsed Robredo over the weekend.
The Guiguinto rally was part of the three rallies that Marcos Jr. was scheduled to carry out in the province that has nearly two million voters.
The first swing drew a huge crowd, the attendees of which were publicly given food stubs.
"I don't know about that," Alvarado said in Filipino when asked about the stubs.