SAMAR SORTIE. Former senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. speaking to supporters in Catarman, Northern Samar on Friday (April 8, 2022). His team canceled its rally in Maasin City, Southern Leyte on Saturday (April 9) due to bad weather in Eastern Visayas. (Photo from Bongbong Marcos FB page)
TACLOBAN CITY – The team of presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. canceled its rally in Maasin City, Southern Leyte on Saturday due to bad weather in Eastern Visayas.
In a video message to thousands of supporters waiting at the Maasin City terminal, Marcos apologized to supporters who have been waiting before sunrise.
“I’m here in Tacloban and it’s raining hard. Our pilot said it is very risky to continue our trip to Southern Leyte. Thank you for your support. We will find way to visit Southern Leyte on some other days,” Marcos said.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 has been raised over Eastern Samar and some provinces in Mindanao on Saturday morning after the low-pressure area east of Eastern Samar intensified into a tropical depression.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the center of Tropical Depression Agaton was last spotted 130 kilometers east southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar early on the same day.
Voters from different towns gathered at the city terminal area for the rally.
Local officials led by Governor Damian Mercado earlier expressed support for the candidacy of Marcos and his running-mate vice presidential bet Sara Duterte.
Maasin City is the birthplace of President Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos was supposed to speak to the crowd around 8:30 a.m.
His other schedules include a rally around 10:45 a.m. in Baybay City, Leyte and Ormoc City at 2 p.m.
A grand rally will be held in Tacloban City Saturday night.
The city, the hometown of her mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, is considered his bailiwick.
Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Leyte First District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez are his first cousins.
On Friday, Marcos attended rallies in Catarman, Northern Samar; Borongan City, Eastern Samar; Catbalogan City, Samar; and Naval, Biliran.
He arrived in Catarman town past 8 a.m. and headed to the University of Eastern Philippines Grandstand where about 7,000 supporters gathered.
In the province where most local government officials have expressed support to Vice President Leni Robredo, Marcos got the endorsement of Northern Samar 2nd District Rep. Jose Ong.
In Borongan, thousands of supporters also trooped to the city plaza but a heavy downpour reportedly prevented some supporters from showing up.
The most attended Marcos sortie in this trip was in Catbalogan where thousands of voters gathered at the capitol grounds to listen to his speech despite the rains.
Several local government officials were present led by Governor Michael Tan and Samar 2nd District Rep. Sharee Ann Tan.
“To the people of Samar, thank you for your welcome. I am happy that many people are heeding our call for unity. If I win, it’s not only us candidates who will win but the entire Filipino nation,” Marcos told the crowd in Catbalogan.
He said he has the support of Eastern Visayas voters since his mother is a native of Leyte, a neighboring province of Samar.
On Friday night, a huge crowd attended a grand rally at Naval Gymnasium in Biliran attended by key local officials led by Governor Rogelio Espina and Lone District Rep. Gerry Espina.
Marcos’ running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte did not make it to the rallies in Samar and Biliran, but she’s represented by Senator Ronald de la Rosa. (PNA)
