By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos

DREAM TEAM. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. courts the voters to pick the administration’s senatorial slate during the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas rally in Pili, Camarines Sur on Friday (March 7, 2025). In his speech, Marcos said the Alyansa bets could be considered a “dream team” for the Senate.

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday said he would be the “luckiest” president if the 12 senatorial candidates under the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas win the 2025 midterm elections.

During the Alyansa’s campaign rally in Pili, Camarines Sur, Marcos said the administration-backed senatorial slate could be considered a “dream team” for the Senate as they have a lot to offer to the Filipino people.

“Madaling sabihin dekalidad po itong ating mga kandidato. ‘Pag pinagsama mo, halos ito na ‘yung dream team kung tatawagin. Sa pulitika, ito na ang dream team para sa Senado. Kaya po nais naming muli na iharap sa inyo ang ating mga kandidato sa Alyansa (It’s easy to say that our candidates are of high quality. When you put them together, they’re almost the dream team. In politics, they’re the dream team for the Senate. That’s why we want to again present to you our candidates in the Alyansa),” Marcos said.

“Ako po sa palagay ko, ako na ang pinakamapalad na Pangulo kung sila ay mahalal lahat dahil kung iyan ang mga kasamahan ko, napakarami po nating magagawa, napakarami po kayong mararamdaman na benepisyo na nanggaling sa national government (I think I would be the luckiest President, if they are all elected because if they are my colleagues, we could do so much, you would feel so many benefits from the national government),” he added.

Marcos said he and the Alyansa senatorial ticket have the shared goal of defending the Philippines’ sovereign rights, ensuring the country’s independence from foreign power, solving crimes and drug proliferation without resorting to violence.

He said his preferred senatorial candidates also support the administration’s initiatives to provide full support to police and local governments, create more jobs, and improve government services.

“Lahat po tayo ay may sariling pananaw sa mga sitwasyong sa ating minamahal na Pilipinas. Lahat sa atin ay may sariling pananaw kung ano ang solusyon para sa Pilipinas. Ngunit tayong lahat, bawat Pilipinong nagmamahal sa kaniyang kapwa Pilipino, pare-pareho nating iniisip, kailangan nating tulungan at pagandahin ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino, kailangan nating pagandahin ang Pilipinas (We all have our own perspective on the situations in our beloved Philippines. We all have our own perspective on what the solution is for the Philippines. But all of us, every Filipino who loves his fellow Filipino, we all think the same, we need to help and improve the lives of every Filipino, we need to improve the Philippines),” Marcos said.

“Kaya naman po nagkaroon tayo ng Alyansa na nanggaling po sa mga iba’t ibang political party dahil sa kanilang pag-iisip, sa kanilang hangarin ay makabuti, makatulong. At kahit na sino ang tutulong na magkapit-bisig po sa amin ay sinasama po naming para isama po natin sa pagtulong sapagpapaganda ng buhay ninyo (That is why we have the Alyansa that came from different political parties because of their thinking, their desire to be good, to help. And whoever will help and join hands with us, we will let them join so that we can help improve your lives).”

Marcos said the Alyansa is the “true alliance” that has come together to help and serve the Filipino people.

He urged the voters not to think twice in choosing the Alyansa bets, urging them to “shade 12-0” in the upcoming elections.

“Mga kababayan, malinaw po ang direksyon ng aming grupo ng Alyansang ito. Ito ay para sa kaunlaran, para sa kapayapaan, at hindi ito para sa pag-aaway-away at pag-aapi (Fellow countrymen, the direction of our group in Alyansa is clear. It is for development, for peace, and it is not for fighting and oppression),” Marcos said.

“Ang kailangan po natin para tayo umunlad, hindi po ang pananakot o paninigaw. Ang kailangan po natin ay solusyon, hindi ang mga maiinit at maanghang na salita na wala namang kabuluhan at walang kinalaman sa pinag-uusapan (What we need for us to develop is not intimidation or shouting. What we need are solutions, not hot and spicy words that are meaningless and have nothing to do with what we are talking about),” he added.

The Alyansa ticket is fielding former Interior secretary Benhur Abalos; Makati City Mayor Abby Binay; incumbent Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos and Francis Tolentino; former senators Panfilo Lacson, Manny Pacquiao and Vicente Sotto III; and House lawmakers Erwin Tulfo and Camille Villar.

They are from the five leading political parties, including the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Nacionalista Party (NP), and National Unity Party (NUP). (PNA)