The governors of Cavite, Laguna, Antique, Negros Occidental, Zamboange del Norte,and Southern Leyte all told presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos the same thing: He will win in their respective provinces on May 9, and he will win big.
Survey frontrunner Marcos held a meeting with the local chief executives Thursday, April 28, at his campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong City in what could be described as his final break before his last hurrah of sorties leading to the polls.
A handful of the governors also gave the UniTeam candidate an assurance on the side that his closest rival in the surveys, Vice President Leni Robredo, won't fare well in their areas.
“Based on our projections he (Marcos) will get 1.2 million votes sa Cavite. As per our latest survey dated April 24,” Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla said during the meeting.
According to Remulla, opposition leader Robredo is projected to get only 400, 000 votes in their province. “Im 99 percent sure na ganun ang mangyayari (this will happen)," he said,
For his part, Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez claimed that Marcos will get the nod of "more or less" 60 percent of province's voting population in the upcoming elections.
“Meron akong regular survey sa amin e, minsan 57 percent, minsan 60 minsan 61 percent (I have a regular survey that sometimes say 57 percent, 60 percent, or 61 percent ),” Hernandez noted.
Also present at the meeting aside from Remulla and Hernandez were and giving similar reassurances of victory were Governors Melchor Diclas, of Benguet; Dale Corvera, Agusan del Norte; Albert Raymond Garcia, Bataan; Roberto Uy, Zamboanga del Norte; Zaldy Villa, Siquijor; Rhodora Cadiao, Antique; Damian Mercado, Southern Leyte; Roel Degamo, Negros Oriental; and Dax Cua, of Quirino.
Uy belied reports that he is supporting Robredo's candidacy after several photos surfaced that he was with the vice president.
“Yung mga picture namin ng mga pari at ni Leni lagi nilang pinopost sa plaza pero wag kayo maniwala diyan kasi eleksyon ngayon. One hundred percent kay BBM kami (In the plaza, they always post photos of me and Leni with the priests, but don't be fooled because it’s election season. We're 100 percent for BBM),” Uy insisted, referring to Marcos.
Cadiao said they will surprise Marcos in Antique on May 9. “We will give him a surprise. I'm sure he will be very happy after the elections. It’s a gift from Antiqueños. We are waiting for change and I think this is it,” she said.
“Mananalo si BBM (BBM will win) I assure you that. Siguro (Maybe) at a minimum of 59 percent. I’m confident na mananalo si BBM sa amin (that BBM will win in our province),” Degamo chimed said.
Meanwhile, Mercado declared that their province is “Marcos country” even as his opponent in politics is supporting Marcos.
“Southern Leyte is BBM country and we can assure of 90 percent of the votes for BBM, because BBM is also from Leyte. Even kalaban namin nag-support kay BBM (Even our rival is supporting BBM),” Mercado noted.
After the meeting with the governors, Marcos also met with local officials of Zamboanga del Norte and Surigao del Norte, including Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, at the Mandaluyong headquarters.
Marcos, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) standard-bearer, has met with governors at least twice before in the ongoing campaign season.