Presidential candidate and son of the late dictator, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. reminded Filipino voters to select a unifying leader and to secure the votes.
“Talikuran na natin ang hindi pagkakaunawaan at ang pagkakahati-hati at tangkilikin na natin ang mapagkaisang lider na maghahatid sa atin ng mas maunlad na bukas,” Marcos said in a video.
Marcos also reminded Filipinos to use their power to vote as it is their “sacred responsibility” to elect the next leaders of the Philippines.
“Sa darating na Mayo a-nueve ay kailangan din po tayong maging mapagbantay sa ating mga boto. Protektahan po natin ang ating naging desisyon at ‘wag po nating hayaang ito’y muling nakawin sa atin,” he said.
Marcos and his supporters often repeat the claim that he lost to Vice President Leni Robredo in the 2016 due to cheating. Robredo posted 14,418,817 votes, while Marcos had 14,155,344.
Marcos filed an electoral protest, claiming electoral fraud. However, the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, dismissed his electoral protest in Feb. 2021 for “lack of merit.”
(READ: FACT-CHECK: 2016 Vice presidency was not ‘stolen’ from Marcos)
“There is no substantial recovery of votes in the pilot provinces (Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental) that he himself had designated,” the Supreme Court said. — Ronald Espartinez