It comes full circle for former senators and senatorial candidates Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino, who found themselves back in Naga City on Saturday, May 10, for a final campaign rally in the bailiwick of former vice president and Naga City mayoralty candidate Leni Robredo.

Back in 2022, the two stood on the same stage—Pangilinan as Robredo’s vice presidential running mate and Aquino as her campaign manager—but on Saturday night, the duo was front and center, joining the “Kiko-Bam + ML Partylist + An Bagong Team Naga Miting de Avance” at the LCC Open Grounds, Naga City with Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Partylist first nominee former senator Leila de Lima.

Akin to their pink rallies in the past, the Miting de Avance was hosted by veteran celebrity manager Ogie Diaz and Mama Loi. They were joined by Iza Calzado, Pinky Amador, and Jolina Magdangal.

Rivermaya performed the 2022 campaign theme song “Liwanag Sa Dilim” as Robredo raised the hands of Pangilinan, Aquino, De Lima, and Camarines Sur Rep. and Naga City vice mayoralty candidate Gabriel Bordado Jr.

Pinoy music icon Bamboo closed the show with several of his hits.

During the Miting de Avance in Naga, Robredo took the time to endorse and push for the candidacies of Pangilinan and Aquino, sharing once more that her endorsement of them was deeply “personal.”

In the short time she spent speaking to her fellow Bicolanos on the stage, she underscored once more the competence, integrity, and track record of both her senatorial candidates.

She also endorsed De Lima as ML Partylist’s first nominee, as well as her An Bagong Team Naga slate.

When Pangilinan decided to heed Robredo’s request to be her vice presidential running mate, he was getting ready to run for the Senate and ranking 8th in pre-election surveys.

All it took was one phone call with wife Megastar Sharon Cuneta, who was in the United States that time, for the former senator to drop his senatorial bid and join Robredo in her 2022 fight.

And while he didn’t win as vice president, the former senator said he was glad to be the “vice president of Naga and the whole Bicol region” since he received the highest percentage of votes as vice president from the region.

“Hindi man ako naging vice president ng Pilipinas, naging vice president ako ng Naga. At hindi lang Naga, ng buong Bicol region (I may have not been vice president of the Philippines, but I was vice president of Naga. And not only of Naga, but of the whole Bicol region),” he told the crowd after being introduced by his son, Miguel Pangilinan.

“Ngayon, pinagkatiwalaan ninyo ako noon, hinihiling ko muli ang inyong tiwala at suporta. Kung maaari po ay mabigyan muli ng inyong mataas na porsyento ng boto dahil masikip ang labanan sa pagka-senador. Bawat boto mahalaga. Bawat suporta mahalaga (Now, you trusted me before, I am asking again for your trust and support. If you can, please give me the highest percentage of votes because the fight to be senator is tough. Every vote is important. Every support is important),” Pangilinan added.

Despite his campaign for the Senate becoming an uphill battle this time, the former senator said he had no regrets letting go of his chance for the upper chamber in 2022.

“Isinantabi natin ang ating sariling personal na politikal na plano para gawin kung ano ang tama. Suportahan ang pinaka-qualified (I set aside my political plan to do what is right. Support the most qualified),” he said, referring to Robredo.

“No regrets. Kung kinakailangan gawin muli iyon at ganun pa rin ang resulta, gagawin natin ang tama. Ipaglalaban natin ang tama. Isusulong natin ang adbokasiya ng gobyernong tapat (If I need to do it again with the same results, we will do what’s right. We will fight for what’s right. We will push for the advocacy of an honest government),” he added.

Robredo’s campaign slogan in 2022 was “Gobyernong Tapat, Angat Buhay Lahat (Honest Government, Improved Lives For All).”

Aquino, who stood as Robredo’s campaign manager both when she ran as vice president in 2016 and as president in 2022, had to consult with the mayoralty candidate one year ago about his political plans.

Despite the dismal survey numbers back then, Robredo told him to run and seek another Senate term to fulfill his dream for the youth—free college education and guaranteed jobs after they graduate.

“Ang sabi po sa akin ni Ma'am Leni, ‘Sen, kung ako nga one percent naging vice president, kung tayo nga nagsimula ng 2022 malungkot 'yung kampanya pero sa dulo 100, 200, 400 thousand tayong magkasama at napakasaya. Siguro naman, kaya mong magtiwala (Ma’am Leni told me, ‘Sen, I also started as one percent but became vice president, when we started in 2022 the campaign was initially glum but by the end, we were 100, 200, 400 thousand and was very happy. You should also trust),” he shared.

Aquino added that survey showed he was only at the 24th to 28th ranking in June 2024. The latest surveys showed the former senator somewhere between the 11th to 16th spot.

“At sa totoo lang po itong takbo po namin in 2025, sa totoo lang po puro tiwala. Kulang ang pondo, kulang ang resources, wala kaming malaking grupo, pero meron po kaming tiwala. Tiwala po unang-una sa Diyos at tiwala, pangalawa, sa taumbayan. May tiwala din po kami sa mga kabataan (In truth, our run this 2025 runs on trust. We lack fund, we lack resources, we do not have a big group but we believe. Trust, first, on the Lord and secondly, on the people. We also trust our youth),” he said.

After only one term in the Senate, Aquino passed the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, and plans to expand the access to its benefits and provide allowances to students if he gets to return for another term.

“Pero alam niyo po, ‘yung libreng kolehiyo, first part lang po yan. Yung pangalawang parte po niyan, 'yung tinatawag naming siguradong trabaho. Libreng kolehiyo, siguradong trabaho, ‘yan po ang kumpletong reporma (But you know, free college education, that’s only the first part. The second part is what we call guaranteed employment. Free college, guaranteed job, that’s the complete reform),” he said.

He said that without access to quality jobs, a college degree would still be lacking.

If he wins on May 12 polls, Aquino shared that he will work to pass laws that would not only ensure the availability of jobs, but also decent compensation and jobs that fit the employees’ skills and degrees.

“Libreng kolehiyo, siguradong trabaho, 'yan po ang misyon ni Senator Bam Aquino...Yan po ang pangarap natin sa ating mga kabataan. Ito po ang ating misyon at mga kasama kung tayo's makabalik sa Senado (Free college, guaranteed jobs. That’s the mission of Senator Bam Aquino...That’s our dream for the youth. This is our mission if we return to the Senate),” he said.