Sharon cheers Kiko on as he reaches out to voters

ANGELES CITY — The May 2025 elections should be decided by the people, not the pre-election surveys, Megastar Sharon Cuneta said on Wednesday at a campaign rally where she and other celebrities made the pitch for her husband Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan's return to the Senate.

A recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey shows Pangilinan outside the top 12 winning circle with 19 days to go before the May 12 midterm polls.

“Alam niyo po, pag tinitignan ko po yung listahan ng mga lumalabas na survey, parang sabi ko, parang mahihirapan kami ng konti. Kaya bahala na po sana kayo kay Kiko, sa May 12, number 51 po balota,” Cuneta told the crowd.

“This is already beyond us. Sana po magsiyasat at mag-research po tayo, huwag po agad-agad maniniwala sa mga fake news na dala po ng maraming paninira," she added.

Cuneta addressed recent posts attacking Pangilinan for eating food from a pot lid and wrongly claiming he ate banana leaves, when he was eating a Kapampangan delicacy with mustard greens.

“Wala po tayo magagawa kung hindi po nila alam kung dahon ng mustasa, na pwede iyon kainin ng may buro. Kahit po sa bahay namin, alam nyo po ba, kahit po walang okasyon, talaga pong kumakain kami sa dahon ng saging. Lahat kami magaling magkamay. Pati po lahat ng anak ko magaling kumain ng kamayan. Ayun po,” she said.

“Kaya sana po sa May 12, huwag nyo po sanang pabayaan ang kinabukasan ng ating mga magsasaka, mangingisda, kinabukasan ng ating mga anak. Sa pipiliin ninyong magsisilbi at maglilingkod sa bayan, huwag po sanang padalos-dalos. Sana po isipin natin kung sino iyong talagang totoo at mapagmahal. Si Kiko po ‘yan,” Cuneta added.

At the same event, actor Donny Pangilinan, the candidate’s nephew, echoed Cuneta’s call to look at Pangilinan’s competence rather than dwell on pre-election polls.

“Nandito po ako ngayon hindi lang bilang isang pamangkin lang ni Senator Kiko Pangilinan. Kahit hindi na rin po bilang isang artista. Nandito po ako bilang isang mamamayang Pilipino kung saan naghahangad [ako] ng isang lider na tapat, may malasakit, tunay, may integridad, at syempre, maayos ang mga ginawa. At dapat mahal niya ang asawa niya. For me, Tito Kiko is one of the most qualified leaders we have in this country. Ilan sa mga pinakamahalagang batas na may kinalaman sa pagkain, agrikultura, sa karapatan ng mga mangingisda at magsasaka,” Donny said.

“Si Tito Kiko, maaaring hindi po siya nangunguna sa mga survey ngayon, pero hindi po survey po ang bumubuo ng kinabukasan natin. Boto po natin yun. Ang tanong, pipili ba tayo ng sikat o pipili tayo ng karapat dapat? Kaya sana po, itong May 12, huwag niyo pong kalimutan si Tito Kiko Pangilinan, number 51 po sa balota,” Donny added.

Singer Regine Velasquez, for her part, said Pangilinan deserves to be a senator because he fully understands what the job entails: passing laws that will benefit the people.

“Ako po ay nandito hindi para mangumbinsi na iboto niyo ang mga taong gusto naming iboto niyo kasi kayo po talaga ang masusunod. Pero gusto ko pong sabihin na marami pong tumatakbo at iba iyong kanilang pagtingin kung paano dapat maging Senador. Ang Senador ay gumagawa ng batas para mapabuti ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino. Hindi po sila dapat nagbibigay ng ayuda dahil hindi po iyon ang kanilang trabaho,” Velasquez said.

“Sa darating na halalan po, Kiko Pangilinan, number 51 sa balota,” Velasquez added.

Other celebrities who vouched for Pangilinan here were singer Jona, radio DJ Suzy, comedian Pooh, Parokya ni Edgar lead vocalist Chito Miranda and the Rivermaya band. 

Reaching out to other voters

In an interview after a talk on hunger at the Angeles University Foundation, Pangilinan said he wants to learn from those who did not vote for him in the 2022 vice presidential race.

A series of videos from his camp titled “Walang Kulay ang Solusyon” highlights some of these voters.

“I hope to learn from them. I hope they will also perhaps learn a few things from me. Importante may dialogue, may conversation. Kasi pag walang conversation at nagmumurahan lang tayo at mag-iinsultuhan, eh paano tayong magkakaroon ng dagdag na alaman sa bawat isa?” Pangilinan said.

“How can we learn without reaching out? How can we have discernment if we're just insulting one another? We have to have conversations. And when we have conversations, nariyan iyong discernment. At pagka may discernment, diyan pumapasok 'yung informed decision. So these conversations are important so that we can have discernment and eventually have informed decisions,” he added.

Pangilinan said such a principle was also advocated by the late Pope Francis, who died on Monday.

“When we don't have discernment, we cannot have informed decisions. We will decide on the basis of anger, on the basis of disinformation, prejudices, on lies, on propaganda. And that's why we're doing this.

In the first episode of Walang Kulay ang Solusyon, Pangilinan is seen talking to call center agent Joie, who in 2022 voted for then-Davao City mayor and eventual winner Sara Duterte.

Joie, who also voted for eventual President Ferdinand "Bongbong ' Marcos, Jr., told Pangilinan that she was actually considering voting for him but she was mocked for her choice for President by “Kakampinks,” the collective name of the supporters of the tandem of Vice President Leni Robredo and Pangilinan in the 2022 presidential elections.

“Actually, kino-consider ko rin kayo iboto that time. Nasa TikTok, mostly sa supporters nung last elections, marami po kasing nang-aaway. Kapag nalaman nilang si BBM ang iboboto mo, sasabihan ka nila ng kung ano ano. Sasabihan ka nila ng masasamang salita. ‘Yun po ang main factor kaya sige, si Sara na lang [iboboto] ko para walang away [between sa] Vice President and President, eh mali rin pala [‘yung ganung desisyon],” Joie said.

In response, Pangilinan said, “dahil sa social media...siguro kung hindi ka inaway, baka nakuha ko ang boto mo.”

Joie replied, Yes. — BM, GMA Integrated News

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