'Strong political family' useful in unifying Ilocos, Bongbong says

There’s no Marcos dynasty in Ilocos Norte, Nacionalista Party (NP) senatorial bet Ferdinand “Bongbong" Marcos Jr., son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator, said. But he does admit that having a “strong political family in one place" is useful in unifying the province, a known stronghold of Marcos loyalists.

"As we all know mahirap magkaroon ng progreso sa isang lugar pagka yung liderato ay nagaaway away. (We all know that it’s difficult to attain progress if the leaders of one area are bickering among themselves.) Perhaps the only thing that I can think of is it is a unifying force and that is helpful to the progress of a place," Marcos said. This perhaps explains why his sister Imee Marcos, who used to be the province’s congresswoman, is currently seeking the gubernatorial post against their cousin incumbent Governor Michael Marcos Keon, and that their mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, is currently running for Congress. However, Bongbong clarified that all the Marcoses running for public office consider themselves as “individuals." “If we succeed, we will continue to work as hard as we can, to do our jobs as public servants," he said. Bongbong Marcos first served as Ilocos Norte’s second district congressman from 1992 to 1995. He also served as Ilocos Norte governor from 1983 to 1986 and from 1998 to 2007, and vice governor from 1980 to 1983. Sister Imee also has an established career in politics. Imee served as representative of the second district of Ilocos Norte for three terms, from 1998 to 2007. She was also an assemblywoman in the province from 1984 to 1986. She also shares her brother’s sentiments, adding that she is running under the party One Ilocos Norte because she wants to unite the province, she said. “Gusto naming e bago, me bagong pagkakaisa, sapagkat ang watak watak ay very feudal ang dating, very 1960s at paurong, gusto natin nagkakaisa para developmental projects tulad nitong wind mills, tulad ng turismo, mga IT and other services," she said. “Gusto natin palawakin ito, hindi na maghaharangan yung mga pulitiko sa magandang negosyo at trabaho na maipapasok sa probinsiya." (What we’re aiming for is a new unity because having discord has a feudal feel to it. It’s so very 1960s and backward. We want unity to achieve development projects such as windmills and to boost efforts for tourism, IT, and other services. We don’t want these efforts to be hampered by politics so that investments and jobs will continue to pour into the province.) Imee unhappy about running against cousin Imee admitted that she is not happy about running against her cousin, incumbent Governor Michael Marcos Keon, a candidate of administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD. Keon is also the guest candidate of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, whose standard bearer is former president Joseph Estrada. Imee was forced to make a last-minute decision to run against Keon because her family thought that her brother might receive fewer votes since their cousin belonged to another party. Ilocos Norte has 361,977 registered voters. As a result, she filed her certificate of candidacy on the last day of filing through a proxy. "It looked like Bongbong’s candidacy would be compromised and we couldn’t allow that. And it was also a direct challenge to my father’s legacy here in the province so that was also untenable," she said. She also blamed Keon who earlier promised to support Bongbong's candidacy. "Kasalanan niya ito e kasi kung gusto ko sana maging gobernador 2007 wala naman akong kalaban. E ako nagdecide magretire talagang wala na akong balak magpulitika," she said. (This is his fault. If I wanted to become a governor, I would have done so in 2007 when I had no rivals for the position. I decided to retire because I have no more intentions to be involved in politics.) She never thought she would be a front liner, saying she preferred to stay on the sidelines as Bongbong's campaign manager and also to help in Senator Manuel Villar Jr.'s campaign. Family members are “getting dizzy" over Keon’s reported decisions to support various candidates, even rivals for the same position, she added. “Hindi namin maintidihan ang salita niya susuportahan daw si Bongbong subalit me problema daw siya dahil me partido siya e ngayon nakakatuwa nga dahil noong una ay si Gibo ang sinasabing president ngayon me 2 pang presidente, si Erap at si Noynoy. Ganun din sa congressman, 3 yung dinadala. Sa tutuo lang nahihilo kami sa kanya," she said. (We can’t understand him. Earlier, he said he would support Bongbong but that he encountered a problem because he now belonged to a party. It’s a bit amusing because first, he said he was for Gilberto “Gibo" Teodoro and now there are two presidents — Joseph Estrada and Noynoy Aquino.) Campaign a sentimental journey for Imelda In the meantime, Imelda’s campaign is a sentimental journey of sorts, since the Marcos family matriarch was able to go back to places she was able to visit together with her late husband, President Ferdinand Sr., during the latter’s presidential campaign in the mid-1960s. "Masaya, nakakatuwa, nakakaaliw yung pangangampanya ng nanay ko dahil lagi naming inaakala na hindi pa siya napunta doon yun pala nakapunta na rin siya 40 years ago kasama ng tatang ko," Imee said. (My mother’s campaign is fun and amusing because we always thought that she hadn’t been to these places until we realize that she was able to visit the place 40 years ago together with my father.) The Marcos children would always tell their mother to stay home and rest, but the advice was refused because she still wanted to sing old Ilocano songs that only senior citizens in these areas can remember. Imee also said that she was “positive" that her mother would win. "Parang unopposed na rin siya, malakas ang nanay ko at masyado na siyang ginagalang ng mga Ilokano. Ang linya nga niya nakakatuwa, sinasabi niya kayo Ilocano by accident, ako Ilocano by choice kaya mas matindi siya mag diskurso," she said. (It seems that my mother is running unopposed. She has a strong following and she has gained the utmost respect of Ilokanos. In her campaign, she tells her audience that they are Ilocano by accident but that she is Ilocano by choice.) Mrs. Marcos would be up against Mariano Nalupta Jr. who is running under the banner of Lakas-Kampi. NP standard bearer Manuel Villar. Jr defended the decision of the Marcoses to run saying in the end, it is the people who will decide their leaders. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV