Philippine presidential candidates began on Tuesday their three-month long campaign to woo voters, making lofty promises to rebuild the shattered economy, wipe out corruption and uplift the lives of a pandemic-weary public.
Here are the key messages in their campaign kick-off speeches:
Marcos calls for unity
Frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the late dictator who ruled the Philippines for two decades before his 1986 overthrow, repeated his message of fostering unity to overcome the economic and pandemic crises.
"All the challenges and disasters that came our way, we were able to surmount them because we were united," Marcos, 64, said before thousands of cheering supporters wearing green and red, his campaign colors.
"Ipagpatuloy natin ang ating nasimulan ngayon nang sa ganun ang Pilipinas ay pararatingin hindi sa ating pinanggalingan kundi ay papasikatin pa natin ang ating mahal na Pilipinas. Para tayo ay haharap sa buong mundo at sasabihin muli natin at isisigaw natin sa lahat 'Ako ay Pilipino, taas noo kahit kanino,'"
Joining Marcos on stage was his running mate, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, and the favorite to win the vice presidency, a separate contest.
"We offer you a tandem endowed with wisdom and experience," Duterte-Carpio, 43, told the rally, which was held indoors, in contrast to open-air venues chosen by rivals.
Robredo's pink campaign offers hope
A parallel election battle is happening online in the Philippines, with campaign teams utilizing social media like Twitter to win more supporters or launch attacks on rivals, hoping to make their hashtags trend.
The #KulayRosasAngBukas (The future is color pink) is among the top trending hashtags in the Philippines, appearing in 269,000 tweets supportive of Vice President Leni Robredo, whose team's colour is pink.
Robredo narrowly beat Marcos in the 2016 vice presidential contest but trails him in polls for the top job. She promised her supporters an honest, caring government.
"Hindi ako kinakabahan dahil nang tinawag ko kayo na gisingin ang natutulog pang lakas, buong-buo ang naging tugon niyo. Tumutulong kayo sa nangangailangan, pinapakain ang nagugutom, nagbibigay lingap sa nasalanta at may sakit, nakinig sa kuwento ng bagong Pilipinong dumadaing at naghahanap ng kasangga sa kanilang mga suliranin. Panatag ang loob ko dahil nakikita kong magkakahanay ang paniniwala nating mga Pilipino," Robredo said.
"'Dito ko sa Naga nakita na ang luma at bulok na klase at pulitika kayang talunin ng matino, mahusay, masipag at makataon paniniwala. Dito nagtiwala ang tao sa lider na nakiisa sa kanya, nakikipila, nakikiramay sa sapalaran, namumuhay nang simple gaya niya," she said.
"Dito tayo tatayo, dito tayo titindig. Kaya ihanda natin ang ating mga bisig dahil tinitiyak ko, walang kayang tumumbas si pinagbigkis nating lakas. Kaya, tara na. Ipanalo na natin ito."
Pacquiao offers own rags-to-riches story as inspiration
Wearing the colors of the Philippine flag, boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao launched his presidential campaign in his hometown General Santos City on Tuesday, the start of a three-month-long journey for the biggest fight of his life.
Pacquiao kicked off his campaign with a motorcade in the afternoon, waving to adoring fans in the city where he said his dream to get out of poverty to become one of the greatest sports icons in the world started.
"Ang pangarap ni Manny Pacquiao, gusto ko maging simula ng inspirasyon sa pagseserbisyo," he told his supporters at the Oval Plaza of his hometown.
"Sisiguraduhin ko sa inyo na walang mahirap na inaagrabyado at inaapi...Sisiguraduhin ko sa inyo na walang pamilya na walang sariling tahanan dahil yan po ay ginagawa ko na noon pa man hanggang ngayon," he said.
Lacson takes aim at crooks, thieves
Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Tuesday launched his presidential campaign in his Cavite hometown, positioning himself as the leader who will uplift the lives of millions by eradicating corruption.
The former national police chief, who built a reputation in the Senate for exposing graft, tapped Senate President Tito Sotto as his vice president. He kicked off his campaign at Imus Grandstand and waved to masked supporters clad in white, red, and blue.
"Bakit binoboto natin ang mismong magnanakaw sa atin? Hindi ba dapat pipiliin natin mabuti, pagadating ng May 9? Hindi sa pinagpipilitin namin yung aming sarili, pero piliin natin. Kasi ang mag-ssuffer tayo—anim na taon nating pagsisisihan ang ating ginawa pag nagkamali tayo ng ibinoto," he said.
Mayor Isko offers alternative to elite politics
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno offered himself as an alternative to dynatic rule that he said set the Philippines back since democracy was restored 36 years ago.
He offered himself as president with Manila as the backdrop, the city being his showcase of leadership before and during the pandemic.
The former actor who started out poor held his proclamation rally at the Kartilya ng Katipunan, a shrine to proletariat revolutionary leader Andres Bonifacio. It was there where he accidentally stepped on human feces at the start of his term, symbolizing his crusade to clean up Manila of dirt and crime.
"Wala tayong babanggitin kundi facts. Twenty-one years ng pamumuno ng pamilya Marcos. Maaaring may magagandang bagay na idinulot sa atin. Maaari rin namang may mga bagay na ikinalungkot natin at mga bagay na mahapdi sa ating damdamin. Whether naging mabuti o hindi mabuti, hindi ako ang huhusga niyan, kayo na ang humusga. I’m just stating facts. Doon tayo sa kabilang banda, ang nagtatagisang pamilya. Anim na taon, dating Pangulong Cory Aquino; 6 na taon din, dating Pangulong Noynoy Aquino,” the Manila mayor said.
“Sa panahon ng mga pula, 21 years. Ang mga dilaw at pink — straightforward lang tayo — 18 taon nila in total. 21+18? 39 years... Binigyan natin sila ng pagkakataon. Ang tanong: After 39 years, kumusta po kayo? Kung pagod na kayo sa kanilang dalawa, nandito po ako. Maiba naman. Tutal nagbakasakali na kayo ng 39 years eh. Ano ba naman ang magbakasakali kayo sa akin ng 6 years?”
"Eighty-nine days from now, pipili kayo, tandaan ninyo, kung sakali, may awa ang Diyos at ako ang pinili ninyo, ang pinili ninyo ay bahay, eskuwelahan, kalusugan, trabaho, at kapanatagan at pantay-pantay na Pilipino sa buong bansa. 'Yun ang singilin n'yo sa akin," he said.
Roughly 67.5 million Filipinos are eligible to vote, including 1.7 million overseas, in an election for a president, vice president, about 300 lawmakers, and roughly 18,000 local government positions on May 9.
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