Over 10,000 Ilocanos gather for the Isabela People鈥檚 Rally held at the Echague Banchetto Grounds on Saturday, March 12, for presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo. (VP Leni Media Bureau)
ECHAGUE, Isabela 鈥擮n Saturday, the North delivered for a Bicolana.
Thousands of supporters of presidential aspirant and Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate Francis 鈥淜iko鈥� Pangilinan dared defy the so-called 鈥淪olid North鈥� vote and turned up at her Grand Rally in Echague, Isabela province, stronghold of her chief rival Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr.
Local police pegged the crowd gathered at the Echague Municipal Hall at around 10,000鈥攕maller than the TRoPang Angat ticket鈥檚 typical crowd size, but could still signal cracks in the Solid North vote.
鈥淕rabe kayo,鈥� a stunned Robredo said during the rally. 鈥淵ou really surprised us. Thank you so much.鈥�
Preempting allegations that they brought people in, Robredo said: 鈥淵ou know that whenever we have a good crowd, we get immediately accused of paying people to go here,鈥� she added, as the crowd chanted 鈥淗indi kami bayad!鈥�
鈥淏ut we should just shrug those off because we know why we鈥檙e here. You are not just fighting for us but for the future of our country.鈥�
This was Robredo鈥檚 first barnstorming across the northern provinces, which historically has delivered votes for the Marcoses thanks largely to their mythmaking there.
Robredo shared how nervous she was going from her bailiwick in Bacolod, which saw her largest rally yet, to Cagayan and Isabela, where she was trounced in the 2016 vice presidential race.
But save for a handful of residents trolling at the rallies screaming 鈥淢arcos pa din!鈥� Robredo鈥檚 sorties inside the Marcos country have been relatively peaceful.
Her supporters here have been moving silently along the fissure lines. In fact, it was her Isabela Kakampinks who first opposed the Comelec鈥檚 arbitrary removal of Leni-Kiko posters on private property.
On Saturday, Robredo and Pangilinan themselves painted a rose for a mural the Comelec had painted over during their 鈥淥plan Baklas鈥� operations now ordered stopped by the Supreme Court.
鈥淏ecause you have gone through so much hardship and sacrifice, you have shown and given us so much inspiration,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou remind us that because you are decisive and you understand how important these elections are, we will fight no matter how hard it is.鈥�
At every stop, their Kakampinks kept encouraging them: 鈥淎wan ti Solid North! Babawi kami! (There is no Solid North! We will make amends!)鈥�
The opposition ticket is also not without allies here: Alcala Mayor Tin Antonio and her father, former Gov. Bong Antonio, have endorsed her for the presidency.
Speaking to reporters, Antonio said Alcala 鈥渞emembers鈥� how Robredo was the first to send help when the province was submerged during the height of Typhoon Ulysses.
While converting Marcos loyalists is no easy task, Antonio promised to 鈥渃omb through each house and talk about all the good that Robredo has done not just for Alcala but for Cagayan and the whole Philippines.鈥�
For now, the youth are mostly the ones daring to wade against the north鈥檚 political current. Volunteers like Khalil Hamdain and Henrick Dulin, for example, expressed hope that the north is starting to awaken from the Marcoses鈥� mythmaking.
Robredo knows 鈥渉ow difficult it is for you to show up here and support another presidential candidate, so thank you so much for your courage,鈥� she said, to which Cagayanons replied: 鈥淗indi mahirap! Walang Solid North!鈥�
Pangilinan, at least, had won both provinces when he ran for senator. Still, he reminded Cagayanons not to vote for someone who 鈥渘ever shows up鈥濃�攁 clear swipe at Marcos Jr., who has dodged all public avenues for scrutiny.
鈥淲hen you are being courted, shouldn鈥檛 that courter face you? When they don鈥檛, it only makes you think they are hiding something, or that they are scared.鈥�