Warm welcome casts doubt on 'Solid North' narrative, Lacson-Sotto tandem say
MANILA, Philippines — The warm welcome they received in northern Luzon put the narrative of the "Solid North" in doubt, according to Senators Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and Vicente "Tito" Sotto III.
The "Solid North" refers to the Ilocos provinces and nearby areas identified with the Marcos clan, one of whom is running for president.
Longtime public servants Lacson and Sotto are running for president and vice president, respectively, in this year's national elections.
"As you may be aware, isn’t it that in the Ilocos Region, the people mostly vote for people from their own region? But as we saw earlier, we got a good response because our discussion of their problems was issue-based," Lacson said in a statement on Monday.
Lacson and Sotto said they witnessed "how warmly they were received by businessmen, farmers, and tricycle drivers in Baguio, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija as they explained their reforms and advocacies."
According to them, this "disproves the so-called 'Solid North' mentality of voters for one presidential bet."
The Lacson-Sotto tandem earlier visited a forum with attendees from the Tricycle Drivers and Operators’ Association (TODA) in Urdaneta City, considered the gateway to Northern Luzon.
"The TODA members wanted to test me because I had said earlier that if someone was Ilocano-speaking, they already had leanings for certain candidates. I also wanted to test their reaction. Surprisingly, we got the reaction that we are not expecting actually—very positive," Lacson said.
During the forum, Lacson and Sotto noted the "thunderous applause" they received after introducing their flagship program "Budget Reform Advocacy and Village Empowerment (BRAVE) program" which seeks to bring progress to rural areas.
The "Solid North" vote, according to Rep. Ramon Guico III (Pangasinan), is seen to be vital in bringing the Marcos-Duterte tandem to Malacañang. The younger Marcos is from Ilocos Norte.
READ: Pangasinan leaders unite for ‘Solid North’
Latest survey results from the privately-led Pulse Asia show that Marcos widened his lead as the top pick for president, based on the choices of respondents who were asked whom they would choose if the elections were held during the survey period. The survey reported that he had 60% of support from "likely voters."
In this survey, Lacson, who was said to have 4% of support from the respondents, ranked the last among the top 5 candidates. He earlier said that things can still change in the run-up to elections amid low survey rankings.
READ: Pulse Asia: Marcos' lead grows, Robredo's lead shrinks in January pre-election surveys
- Latest
- Trending
