PDP bets start campaign with less fanfare, set rally on Feb. 13, 2025

While other senatorial tickets held proclamation rallies on the first day of the campaign period, candidates of Partido ng Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) started their sorties with less fanfare.

The slate's proclamation rally has been set on February 13.

On Tuesday, reelectionist Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and singer Jimmy Bondoc attended a noon mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Quezon City. They were joined by QC Mayor Joy Belmonte and QC 1st District Rep. Arjo Atayde.

Reelectionist Senator Bong Go spent the first day of the campaign season in Davao CIty where he met small businessmen selling on the streets.

“Tangkilikin natin ang mga maliliit na negosyante. Tulungan natin ang ating mahihirap na kababayan,” he said in Facebook Live video.

(Let's support small businessmen. Let's help our poor countrymen.)

Go is expected to attend the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) general assembly in a hotel in Manila on Tuesday night. There he will discuss the importance of bringing government services closer to the people, especially the poor.

Other candidates of the party include Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, actor Philip Salvador, lawyers Jesus Hinlo Jr. and Raul Lambino, and Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

Among the eight official senatorial candidates of PDP-Laban for the 2025 polls, only Quiboloy was slated to hold a proclamation rally on the first day of the campaign period.

In an ambush interview, Dela Rosa said that he intends to implement an “Oplan Tokhang” style of campaigning where he would knock on doors of houses and ask the public to vote for him.

“Kung pwede mag house-to-house, kung pwede mag-bahay bahay…Sanay naman tayo sa tokhang 'di ba? Binabahay bahay natin ‘yung bahay, kinakatok natin ‘di ba? So pwede ring gawin ‘yun,” he told reporters.

(If we can go house to house, we will do so. We’re used to tokhang, right? We go to their houses and knock on their doors. We can also do that in the campaign.)

“Tokhang talaga—toktok hangyo, knock and plead. Katukin mo ‘yung pintuan ng bahay, ‘pag open, kung smiling, you plead, ‘Pwede ba ninyo akong iboto?’ Ganun. Pero pagka-open ng bahay, nakasimangot, ‘Ay sorry po, alis na ‘ko,’” he added.

(It’s really like Tokhang—knocking and pleading. We will knock on the people’s houses and when they are smiling when they open the door, we will ask them to vote for me. If they are not, we’ll just apologize and leave.)

The Duterte administration is currently being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its campaign against illegal drugs.

Oplan Tokhang was part of the police campaign, which included going door-to-door to "knock and plead" with people to stop using illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa served as the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief when the controversial drug war was implemented.

As he seeks another term as senator, Dela Rosa said the ongoing ICC investigation does not bother him.

“People are not dumb. People are listening about the recent developments all over the world. Makita ng tao na ayaw ng US sa ICC, pinaghuhuli nga sila, eh bakit pa sila papabor sa ICC? Ang papabor sa ICC ay ‘yung talagang galit sa akin, galit sa amin ni [former President Rodrigo] Duterte,” he added.

(When the people see what the US is doing to the ICC, why would they still favor the ICC? Those who only support the investigation are those who are angry with Duterte and I.) —RF/NB, GMA Integrated News

For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.