TIAONG, Quezon--Governor Danilo Suarez has given his tacit endorsement of the presidential candidacy of Bongbong Marcos during the UniTeam ticket's first swing in this province since the start of the campaign season.
Suarez introduced Marcos to the audience Wednesday, March 23, during the UniTeam's "mini-rallly" at the jampacked Tiaong Convention Center here; he also predicted an "unprecedented" election result in the province where Marcos would win by a margin of at least 300,000 votes.
But he also told reporters that Marcos had "promised" him that he would help bring back the coco levy fund.
"Gusto lang namin makita yung assurance niya because kami ay coconut-producing province na tutulungan niya kami na suportahan ang coco levy na maibalik sa magsasaka yung pera (We just want to see his assurance--because we are a coconut-producing province--that he will help us support coco levy, so that the money will be returned to the farmers)," Suarez said in an ambush interview.
Asked if the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) standard-bearer gave him a categorical promise, Suarez said: "Restoring it back to the farmers is an effort that needs to be done in Congress."
"I need the support of the senators kaya nga sinasabi ko ito sa mga kandidatong senador (that's why I asked this of the senatorial candidates): tutulungan niyo kami na i-revert back ang coco levy tutal nandyan naman yung pera tsaka lumalaki yun eh (help us revert the coco levy fund, the money's there anyway and it continues to grow), it’s earning so much," the governor said.
"The coco levy refers to a 40-year-old tax on coconut farmers, the resulting fund of which was supposed to be used for the development of the local coconut industry. The fund was pegged at P75 billion back in 2019.
The coco levy without controversy, and the money's return to the hands of farmers has been a longtime clamor. It was created during the administration of the late strongman president Ferdinand Marcos, Bongbong's father.
Asked if he thinks the younger Marcos would commit to bringing the fund back to farmers, Suarez said: "I can see his sincerity. He wants to do something, maybe go back to the glory of his father."
At any rate, the former House Minority Leader said the Supreme Court (SC) has already decided on the coco levy issue.
"Sinabi na ng Supreme Court (The SC has said that) it will not go anywhere except to the coconut farmers," Suarez said.
Impressed by his constituents' reaction during the mini-rally, the governor said of the PFP presidential aspirant: "Matagal na ako sa politika basta't kung ano man ang kanilang, tulad nito, unprecendent ito. Buhay na buhay ang crowd di ba? (I've been in politics for a long time, this is unprecendent. The crowd was very alive, right?)"
"I can feel the sympathy of the people. I can feel the gut of my provincemate," added Suarez.
With the May 9 polls just around the corner, Suarez said the province can produce a huge winning margin for UniTeam's Marcos.
"Siguro mga 300,000 to 400,000 kayang ilamang ni BBM, Bongbong-Sara. Malaki, malaki (Maybe BBM, Bongbong-Sara can lead by 300,000 to 400,000). I assure you this will be an unprexedented election," he said, referring Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
Mayor Duterte is the UniTeam's vice presidential candidate and chairperson of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) party.