Kiko-Bam duo scoops up backing from ex-VP Leni, NegOcc guv, party-lists in Bacolod

BACOLOD CITY — Former Vice President Leni Robredo was in the Negros Occidental capital on Wednesday to lead the endorsers of Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan and Bam Aquino, urging the crowd to vote them back into the Senate in the May 2025 midterm elections.

Robredo made the pitch in the province she won in 2022, while four party-list groups and Negros Occidental Governor Bong Lacson also vowed support for the Kiko-Bam tandem.

“Dito sa Negros Occidental, halos 45,000 votes akong lumamang. Nanalo po tayo rito sa Negros Occidental sa gitna ng napakaraming pagsubok, iyong boses niyo iyong nanaig. At dahil naipakita natin na kahit maraming kahirapan, kapag tayo ay nagkakaisa sa pakikipaglaban para sa bayan, magtatagumpay tayo,” Robredo said in Paglaum Sports Complex where she drew large crowds during her 2022 presidential run.

(I won here in your province by 45,000 votes. We won amid all the difficulties, and your voice prevailed. We did that, and we showed that if we stand together for our country, we will win.)

“Kung ano iyong sigasig ng pagkampanya niyo [noong 2022] doblehin, triplehin pa natin. Hindi tayo lugi sa dalawang ito. Nakita natin iyong kanilang record sa Senado, hindi natin ikahihiya, hindi sayang iyong boto,” she added.

(Let’s double, triple our efforts from 2022. We won’t lose if we bet on these two. We know their track record, and we will be proud of our vote. Our vote is worth it.)

Robredo said Pangilinan and Aquino will definitely provide a sturdy support doe Senator Risa Hontiveros' fight for reforms in the Senate.

“Dapat hindi natin sayangin ‘yung nasimulan natin three years ago. Kasi ipinakita natin na ‘yung boses natin, malakas. Ngayon, nahaharap na naman tayo sa isa pang laban: midterm elections. May dalawa tayong kandidato sa Senado na napakahusay at napakabuti, Senator Kiko Pangilinan and Senator Bam Aquino. Ang dalawang ito, handa lagi magsakripisyo para sa bayan. Dapat tayo rin,” Robredo said.

(We should not put our efforts three years ago to waste. We showed our voice, and it was loud. We have a new battle to win, and we have two Senate bets: Senator Kiko and Bam. They are competent and honest, and are always willing to make the sacrifice for the country.)

“Kaya ang assignment natin, ikakampanya natin ang pagkapanalo nila. Samahan pa natin ng dalawang matino at mahusay si Senator Risa Hontiveros. Imaginin niyo. Kapag nangyari iyon, masasabi nating may aasahan tayo sa bansa natin,” Robredo added.

(Our task is to campaign for them to win, so they can join the equally excellent Senator Risa Hontiveros in the Senate. If that happens, we can say we can expect something good out of our country.)

Prior to Robredo taking the stage, Justin Balane of Akbayan party-list, Matet Lozada of Bunyog party-list, former Congressman Gary Alejano of Magdalo party-list, former Senator Leila de Lima of ML party-list and Negros Occidental governor Bong Lacson also backed Pangilinan and Aquino’s comeback bid to the Senate.

“Here in Negros Occidental, let us support the Senate comeback of former Senators Kiko and Bam. They have the experience for the job,” Lacson said in Ilonggo.

“Senator Kiko strongly advocates for the agriculture sector, and we are an agricultural province. We need policies that will help our farmers, so we need to re-elect him to the Senate. Senator Bam, on the other hand, is the principal author of the law providing free access to tertiary education. Many of our students benefited from it,” Lacson added.

Anthony Pangilinan, who represented his older brother Kiko who was in another campaign stop in Bohol, also said that his brother authoring over 300 laws is proof that he is always looking out for the welfare of the people.

"I support my brother hindi dahil sa parehong pangalan pero dahil sa parehong paninindigan. He authored over 300 laws, unlike others who evade the law," Anthony said. 

Negros Occidental has two million registered voters for the 2025 polls, making it the sixth-most vote-rich province in the country based on Commission on Elections (Comelec) records. — BM, GMA Integrated News 

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