2022 election frontrunners barnstorm Iloilo City, province

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Presidential election survey frontrunners – former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo – are set to barnstorm the city and province of Iloilo on Feb 24 and 25, 2022, respectively.

Their campaign stops will include meet-and-greets with local leaders and supporters in the city and province.

Marcos, who was in Negros Occidental on Wednesday, will start his Iloilo campaign stop with the inauguration of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas headquarters near the Jaro Big Market in Jaro, Iloilo City.

This will be followed by meet-and-greets with barangay leaders as well as their “Uniteam” supporters at the Iloilo Convention Center.

From there, they will meet with their supporters in the first district of Iloilo at the Guimbal National High School field, which was recently renamed as “Guimbal Stadium”.

Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 048 series of 2018, which outlines the prohibition on electioneering and partisan political activity, explicitly prohibits the utilization of government resources, including property, for political purposes.

Daily Guardian has reached out to the DepEd-Region 6 for comment on the use of the Guimbal school grounds but referred this paper to DepEd-Division of Iloilo which has yet to respond as of this writing.

Uniteam’s last stop in Iloilo will be at the Tamasak Stadium in Barotac Nuevo town, where its senatorial slate and celebrity supporters are expected to appear as well.

Former Iloilo 4th district representative Ferjenel Biron, who hails from the town, is the Iloilo provincial campaign manager of Uniteam.

MINI RALLIES

Meanwhile, Robredo will cover all 5 congressional districts of the province by kicking off her campaign with a mini rally in Oton town.

Her team will be flown afterwards by chopper to the northern town of Concepcion for another mini rally. Similar rallies will follow in Ajuy, Pototan, and Passi City.

This will be followed by a caravan starting in Santa Barbara town and will end in a grand rally at the Iloilo Sports Complex in La Paz, Iloilo City.

Celebrity supporters confirmed to appear at the Robredo grand rally include the band Rivermaya, actor-singer Gab Valenciano, actress Cherry Pie Picache, singer Bituin Escalante, and internet star Pipay, among others.

Vice presidential bets Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio (Marcos) and Senator Kiko Pangilinan (Robredo) are also expected to join their respective activities.

The Robredo-Pangilinan tandem are also expected to travel to Guimaras on Saturday, Feb. 26.