Officials from Abra led by Gov. Maria Jocelyn Bernos and Rep. Joseph Sto. Niño Bernos joined Wednesday Solid North local executives in supporting the UniTeam presidential-vice presidential tandem of former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Before the candidates arrived, Rep. Bernos, a member of the Nacionalista Party, said the people of his province were excited to welcome the UniTeam candidates.
“Abra is BBM-Sara country,” he said.
The UniTeam slate, including its senatorial aspirants, held a motorcade and a rally in Abra before proceeding to Kalinga Wednesday afternoon.
Gov. Bernos, a member of the National Unity Party, strongly asked her fellow Abreños to support BBM-Sara, describing the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard-bearer as “a gentleman who has a proven competence and humane leadership.”
“He (Marcos) is out to prove that he can lead this country to further progress,” she said before a huge rally at the Abra Sports Complex.
Marcos thanked the local leaders led by the Bernoses and the people of Abra for the warm and lively welcome to the UniTeam candidates.
He also campaigned for Duterte-Carpio, chairperson of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, who did not make it to the rally Wednesday.
“She continues to send her message of love to you and her message that we must love our country,” Marcos said in Tagalog.
Senatorial candidates reelectionist Sen. Win Gatchalian, Harry Roque, Mark Villar, and Rodante Marcoleta joined Marcos during the political events in the landlocked province in the Cordilleras.
The Abra governor and congressman were the latest officials from Northern Luzon to formally support the candidacies of Marcos and Duterte.
The UniTeam candidates received overwhelming commitments and promises of votes during their month-long cross-country Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas Ride, which took them to several provinces in northern and central Luzon.
The areas they visited included Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, La Union, and Zambales.
Among the governors who promised to support them were Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela, Manuel Mamba of Cagayan, Mathew Manotoc of Ilocos Norte, Ryan Singson of Ilocos Sur, Francisco Emmanuel Ortega of La Union, Amado Espino III of Pangasinan, and Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. of Zambales.
Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Luisa Cuaresma, who heads the provincial chapter of Lakas-CMD, also backed the BBM-Sara tandem.
“Solid North is indeed solid for BBM-Sara,” said House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, president of Lakas-CMD who accompanied the UniTeam candidates in their Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas journey.
