Lagdameo defends admin proclamation rally in Davao, calls it a sign of unity
Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Anton Lagdameo on Tuesday, Feb. 18, defended the weekend proclamation rally of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas in Carmen, Davao del Norte that kicked off its campaign for the May elections in Mindanao.

SECURITY is tight at the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pipilinas proclamation rally in Carmen, Davao del Norte on Saturday, Feb. 15. The event was graced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Keith Bacongco)
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/15/30-000-troop-to-alyansa-proclamation-in-davao-del-norte
Lagdameo in a statement denied that the rally attended by about 30,000 people from different parts of the Davao region was a political maneuver.
He said that the event was not a show of force but an effort to rekindle the alliance between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s family and the province’s key political figures, mirroring the close ties that existed during the administration of his late father, President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
"It was a display of how democracy works, how decade-long friendships have been rekindled with the people. It was a demonstration of how people have the right to move and express their sentiments. I wouldn’t call it a show of force,” Lagdameo said.
He said that the choice to begin the campaign in Carmen was a nod to the province’s history, especially its prosperous past during the golden years of the banana industry, and a reflection of the current administration’s continued support for its growth.
"Politics has always been there since I was born. Friendship has been nurtured and never compromised. Development is spreading, and the people are reaping the benefits,” Lagdameo said.
Lagdameo said the administration's senatorial candidates – reelectionists Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla, and Francis Tolentino, former Senators Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson, and Manny Pacquiao, House Deputy Speaker Camille Villar, ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, former Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, and Makati City Mayor Abby Binay – are focused on policies that will enhance Filipinos’ welfare and development.