Alyansa starts April campaign in Rizal

THE Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, a coalition of administration-backed senatorial candidates, will kick off its April campaign in Antipolo City on Friday, staging a major show of force in Rizal, the seventh vote-rich province in the country.

Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco, Alyansa's campaign manager, said that they expect to draw thousands of supporters at the Ynares Center and energize Alyansa's message of unity, development, and competent leadership.

"Rizal is a powerhouse. Its growth, its numbers, and its voter turnout show that this is where national momentum is built," he said in a statement.

He said that Alyansa's approach was rooted in performance and proven leadership that complemented the development agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"Our candidates are doers. They've delivered. When you combine that with infrastructure and economic vision of President Bongbong Marcos, Rizaleños will see a team truly worth supporting," Tiangco said.

This will be Alyansa's first sortie of the month. Rizal delivered 765,019 votes for Marcos in 2022.

Rizal, with over 1.67 million registered voters and a turnout rate of 81.03 percent, "stands as a crucial battleground that could significantly influence the outcome of the May midterm elections," Tiangco said.

The Alyansa ticket includes former Interior secretary Benhur Abalos, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla, Sen. Pia Cayetano, former senator Ping Lacson, Sen. Lito Lapid, former senator Manny Pacquiao, former Senate president Tito Sotto, Sen. Francis Tolentino, ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo, and Deputy Speaker Camille Villar.

Meanwhile, Lacson said that Filipinos must not stop hoping for an end to corruption but "must also be one in acting against it."

"Let's not stop hoping because we have no other country. We are Filipinos. Even overseas Filipino workers and those who migrated abroad will one day come home," Lacson said.

"We should all be involved, especially our communities. If the community does not and our attitude is one of indifference, our situation will get worse," he added.

Lacson said Filipinos could start acting as one against corruption by voting for the right candidates in May.