UniTeam presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos couldn't help but be impressed by Quezon City mayoralty candidate, Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor.
Defensor's Malayang Quezon City ticket organized the grand rally Wednesday, April 13 along IBP Road in Quezon City, with Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) presidential candidate Marcos serving as its special guest.
In his speech before the tens of thousands of people in attendance, Marcos gave props to the aspiring mayor for meticulously laying out solutions to the problems of Quezon City.
"Ang dami nating problema ngayon sa Pilipinas, Pinapakinggan ko po ang ating butihing mayor na si Mike Defensor, na sinasabi niya na mukhang natugunan na niya ang lahat ng problema dito sa Quezon City, at nabigyan na nga ng sagot ang lahat ng tiga Quezon City, ang lahat ng problema (We have a lot of problems right now in the Philippines. I was listening to our good mayor, Mike Defensor, who says that he has identified all the problems here in Quezon City and gave solutions to each of them)," the Palace aspirant said.
Marcos, 64, even joked that he wanted to relocate to Quezon City just so he could avail of the benefits Defensor has planned for senior citizens like him.
The PFP standard-bearer then urged Quezon City residents to help the congressman win as mayor so that he could put his programs in motion.
"Yung mga negosyante na nawalan yung maliliit na negosyo yung nasira, nawala yung kanilang negosyo, nalubog sa utang, nagsara na, nalugi nila. Ay kailangan natin tulungan na tugunan din ni Mike Defensor yung problemang yan (Entrepreneurs lost their businesses, it got ruined , they were buried in debt, they closed down and were bankrupt. We need to help Mike Defensor address that problem)," he said.
Marcos would later reveal in an SMNi network interview right after the grand rally that he has long known Defensor, who is a former presidential chief-of-staff of the Arroyo administration.
"Matagal na kaming magkakilala. Marami kaming nagawa together lalo nung senador ako at tsaka nung panahon na governor ako, nung panahon ni GMA lalo. Kaya't nakita ko naman ang kakayahan niya at nauunawaan niya ang problema ng mga tao. Kaya't bagay na bagay na siya na dapat ang susunod na mayor (We've known each other for a long time. We've done a lot together when I was a senator and governor, and especially during the time of GMA . That's how I saw his abilities and his grasp of the people's problems. That's why it's only fitting that he becomes the next mayor)," he said.
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) stalwart Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who represented Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in the rally, made a similar appeal to the people in attendance.
"Sana suportahan natin yung buong team ng Malayang Quezon City under the leadership of Mayor Mike Defensor at ang ating bise mayor na si Vice Mayor Winnie Castelo, at ang buong linya po nila (Let's support the entire team of Malayang Quezon City under the leadership of Mayor Mike Defensor and our Vice Mayor Winnie Castelo and their entire slate)," Dela Rosa said. Castelo is an incumbent Quezon City councilor and a former ranking member of the House of Representatives.
Mayor Duterte, who is vying for the vice presidency in next month's polls, is Marcos's running mate. Both of them are survey frontrunners.