Otso Diretso bets head to Tondo for campaign; Mar in Pampanga for market visit

MABALACAT, Pampanga —Former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas headed to Pampanga on Wednesday, while his fellow Otso Diretso candidates went to Baseco compound in Tondo, Manila as to court votes for the 2019 midterm elections.

Roxas, who ran for vice president in the 2010 elections and president in the 2016 elections under the Liberal Party, made rounds at the Mabalacat Public Market in  Pampanga to meet and interact with vendors and market-goers.

LOOK: “Otso Diretso” senatorial candidate Mar Roxas is here in Mabalacat, Pampanga for his campaign sortie. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/yU6h04iwSc

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) February 27, 2019

He also held a dialogue with students of Jose C. Feliciano College to answer their questions about national issues and his campaign advocacies.

When he ran for senator in 2004, Roxas used the monicker "Mr. Palengke." Even though it has been more than 10 years since he ran for a legislative position, he pointed out that he has stayed true to his nickname.

"Hindi naman ako nawala sa palengke. Parati akong bumabalik sa palengke kaya pamilyar ako sa mga presyo, pamilyar ako sa logistic ng supply chain," Roxas said.

"Yun nga lang, dahil sa aking mga katungkulan, nadala ako sa ibang mga issue. Pero parati nakatungtong ako sa palengke dahil alam ko yan ang pinakaimportante sa pamilyang Pilipino," he added.

Roxas said he is also not selective in choosing where to conduct his campaign activities, even if these are the bailiwicks of administration-allied officials like Pampanga, the home province of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"Hindi ko naman kinikilala ang mga lalawigan bilang balwarte ni Juan, Pepe, Maria o kung sino. Mga kapwa Pilipino natin ito, may inihahain tayong track record [at] mga programa," he said.

"Hindi ko naman naramdaman na balwarte ito ng kalaban natin dahil napaka-warm [ng welcome]," he added.

Meanwhile, "Otso Diretso" candidates Florin Hilbay and Romulo Macalintal went door-to-door in Baseco compound in Tondo, Manila to urge the residents to vote for them.

Hilbay was raised in Tondo district before he became a professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law and appointed as Solicitor General under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III.

During a dialogue with the residents, Hilbay assured the locals that they will oppose the planned reclamation projects in Manila Bay which might drive them away from Baseco compound.

"Tutol tayo diyan dahil hindi ko nakikita na ang tutok ng reklamasyon ay ang ordinaryong mamamayan," Hilbay said.

"Kailangan natin ng mga senador na handang tumayo para sa inyo at ako ay nagko-commit na tututulan natin ang isang reklamasyon na magtatanggal dito sa mga taga-Baseco, na iiwan lang kayo sa ere dahil merong mga taong gustong mag-invest," he added.

On Thursday, fellow opposition senatorial candidate Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV will have his turn to woo the residents of Tondo as he is set to hold his campaign activities there. —LDF, GMA News