Senatorial candidate Bam Aquino on Wednesday night, March 19, called for unity amid issues that once more divided the country in the past week.
Independent senatorial candidate Bam Aquino speaks before the crowd during the Bacolod campaign rally on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (Photo from Bam Aquino Media Bureau)
In his speech during the Kiko-Bam campaign rally held at the Paglaum Sports Complex in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, the former senator lamented the divisiveness that has cloaked the country in recent weeks.
“Ngayon pong hinahati at nahahati muli ang ating bansa, kailangan po nating ipaalala sa mga kababayan natin na kahit magkakaiba ang pananaw natin sa maraming bagay, meron pa rin po tayong pagkakaparehas (Now that our country is being divided, we need to remind our countrymen that we may have different views in many things, but we still have something similar),” he told the crowd.
“Ayaw po natin ng isang gobyernong mapang-abuso, ayaw po natin ng mga lingkod-bayan na nagnanakaw (We don’t want an abusive government, we don’t want public servants who steal),” he added before proclaiming former vice president Leni Robredo’s rallying call of “Gobyernong Tapat, Angat Buhay Lahat (Honest Government, Uplifted Lives For All).”
He urged Filipinos to reach out not only to people who share their beliefs, but to everyone, regardless of their political color.
“Gusto po natin ang mga kabataan natin naaabot ang kanilang pangarap, at nais ko pong
sabihin mahalaga ang katotohanan, mahalaga ang hustisya pero mahalaga rin po na ipaalala natin na lahat tayo ay Pilipino (We want our youth to reach their dreams, and I want to say that the truth is important, justice is important, but we need to remind that we are all Filipinos),” Aquino, whose candidacy in the Senate is backed by Negros Occidental Gov. Bong Lacson, said.
He also emphasized the need for candidates who represent all Filipinos, reminding that Robredo herself aimed to be the president for all.
“At ako po, si Senator Bam Aquino, tumatakbong senador ng Pilipinas, tumatakbo ng senador ng lahat ng Pilipino (And I am Senator Bam Aquino, running as president of the Philippines, running as senator for all Filipinos),” he said.
During the campaign rally, students of Aquino’s Free College Law went on stage to testify how the former senator helped them reach their dreams of finishing college.
The former senator said that it is through cooperation, coordination, and working together with different sectors and groups both in the private and the public sectors that the law was created.
“Magkakaibang partido, magkakaibang kulay sa politika, napasa po natin ang batas ng libreng kolehiyo at ngayon po, pitong taon na po ‘yang libre (Different parties, different political colors, that free college law was passed and now, it’s been seven years),” he shared.
Meanwhile, former senator Kiko Pangilinan, who was unable to attend the Bacolod rally because of a prior schedule in Bohol province, was represented by his brother, Anthony Pangilinan.
Senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan is represented by his brother, Anthony Pangilinan, during the campaign rally in Bacolod City. (Team Kiko Pangilinan)
Anthony urged supporters to personally reach out to friends, family, and even enemies and exes, and convince them to vote for his brother.
“That’s why we are here tonight. Sa palagay ko, hindi tayo nagkakaiba sa prinsipyo. But the reality is, hindi tayo mananalo kung tayo-tayo lang. Sana po, kausapin natin ang lahat ng ating kaibigan, kapamilya, kapatid—ano pa? Kalaban. Dating minahal. Ang mga ex din niyo—kausapin ninyo! Dahil kailangan natin ang kanilang boto (I think we have the same principles. The reality is, we will not win by ourselves. I wish that we will talk to friends, family, and siblings. Enemies. People we once loved. Let’s to talk to our exes. Because we need their votes),” he said.
He took pride in what his brother has achieved in the Senate when he was senator, and compared him with the achievements of other candidates.
“Hindi lang po ang kanyang pamilya, buong bayan ang kanyang pinaglaban. Tumulong siyang maipababa ang presyo ng pagkain. Halos dalawa, tatlong dekadang paninilbihan, wala pong bahid ng korupsyon. Tatlong daang batas ang naipasa at pinaglaban (He fights not only for his family, he fights for the entire country. He helped bring down the price of food. He served for almost three decades without a taint of corruption. He passed and fought for almost 300 laws),” Anthony said.