Packed day for Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte in vote rich Cavite, starting first of their 5 events here today with Gov Jonvic Remulla in Bgy San Juan, Dasmariñas. Remulla promised 800k votes here for Marcos, who edged out Robredo in 2016 with 556k vs 404k @rapplerdotcom
In Uniteam campaign sortie here in Dasma, Gov Jonvic Remulla gives P5k each to two people who got the biggest applause after their song number, and P2k to the third person
This is how the crowd warms up in Bgy San Juan, Dasmariñas for Marcos and Duterte -- with Gov Jonvic Remulla telling an earnest crowd member "mahalay lang pero hindi bastos." He gets P5k in cash immediately after this from the governor.
It's raining cash in here in Uniteam Dasmariñas sortie. So far, Remulla has given out P28,000 in cold thousand peso bills to 9 audience members who either sing or dance.
Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits “any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value... in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate."
Senator Bong Revilla, whom the court ordered to return P124.5 million in plundered pork barrel funds, arrives at the Uniteam sortie in Dasmariñas
Mayor Sara Duterte arrives in Bgy San Juan, Dasmariñas ahead of Bongbong Marcos
Another stump speech from Marcos here in Dasmariñas. When he says the line "Ako ay Pilipino, Taas Noo Kahit Kanino," that's usually the sign that the speech is about to end.
Marcos and Duterte's Cavite sortie, to culminate in a grand rally in Gen Trias Sports Complex later, coincides with Cavite Day, a special non-working holiday for Caviteños
From here in Dasmariñas, Mayor Sara Duterte says she is appreciative of the Marcos endorsement of PDP-Laban Cusi faction. PDP-Laban was founded to oppose the Marcos dictatorship. We tried to ask if her father, Pres Duterte - party chairman - will also follow with endorsement.
Will President Duterte endorse Marcos next? Marcos' campaign manager Benhur Abalos, also of PDP-Laban: Hintayin natin.
Gov Jonvic Remulla defends the giving out of cash in a Uniteam sortie: Hindi pa ako kandidato until 25, BBM was not there. Not until the candidates (for national) arrive is it a violation.
More than 20 mins after cash giving, Sara Duterte arrived, after 50 mins, Marcos arrived.
Remulla: We checked the rules, (cash giving) is allowed as long as the (national) candidates aren't there.
Local campaign period starts March 25. Remulla says up until national bets arrived, it wasn't a Uniteam rally. But the stage, the venue, were filled with Uniteam posters.
Election lawyer Emil Marañon disputes Remulla's interpretation of the law: "To commit vote buying, the vote-buyer need not be a “candidate” as the law says “any person."
Atty Emil Marañon, election lawyer: "Second, the presence or even knowledge of the candidate benefitting from the act is also not an element of the crime. In other words, BBM need not be there for Remulla to commit vote buying for him."
WATCH: After making a statement on the PDP-Laban Cusi faction endorsement, I asked Bongbong Marcos if he had paid part of their P23 billion, potentially P203 billion, estate tax, but he just smiled and walked away.
Here is Marcos' statement on PDP-Laban endorsement
When asked if President Duterte will follow suit and endorse Marcos, Sara Duterte says "I cannot speak for the president, I do not know what he's thinking right now."
Uniteam's next Cavite stop before the Gen Trias grand rally is at an assembly of barangay officials and kagawad at the Sigtuna Covered Court in Tagaytay
In Tagaytay, Sara Duterte asks a supporter to name Uniteam senatorial bets, the supporter turns to Gov Jonvic Remulla and asks: "Sa Dasma may premyo, paano naman po?"
Hard to tweet here from Gen Trias Sports Complex, but massive crowd already here ahead of Marcos and Duterte. Comedian Bayani Agbayani was entertaining crowd before senatorial bets. I've seen 6 people who passed out.
Crowd situation at 6:15pm at the Uniteam grand rally in General Trias Sports Complex. Tweeting this video before we lose signal again.
If Marcos and Duterte returned to Cavite to prove that the province is not pink, then this mammoth crowd is a strong show of force.
Here in General Trias, Cavite, the crowd chants for Marcos and Duterte: Panalo ka na!
After singing her signature campaign cover song "Roar," Toni Gonzaga tells the crowd: "Simula po nung tumapak ako sa entablado kasama ng Uniteam, sabi nila bayad daw po ako. Bayad po ba kayo? Katulad ni BBM, huwag na po nating patulan."
Alluding to Robredo overtaking him overnight in the 2016 VP elections, Marcos tells Cavite crowd he will send them 3-in-1 coffee on May 8 "para walang tulugan."
Supreme Court unanimously junked Marcos' electoral protest vs Robredo, widening Robredo's lead further by 15k.
Drone shot is being played in the LED screen on stage.
Governor Jonvic Remulla says the crowd estimate for tonight's Uniteam rally is 100k. Why did Uniteam come back? "Cavite had something to prove."
We just conferred with police on the ground, they say the estimate is 80,000. We confirmed that we can attribute it to the Cavite PNP.
Video of buses which ferried Marcos-Duterte supporters. On the other side were jeepneys which also ferried reporters
Asked how GenTri Sports Complex can hold 80k-100k when his brother Cong Boying Remulla doubted that the venue can hold 47k or the attendance for Robredo, Gov Jonvic Remulla said: "He’s not the expert in crowd estimates. PNP clearly stated the crowd was 3x Leni-Kiko rally"
Drone shots of the Gen Trias crowd earlier courtesy of Lakas-CMD. Crowd estimates vary: 80,000 (on ground police) to 100,000 (Gov Jonvic Remulla)
Ano ba ang seasonal work? Sa labor code, regular ka kung ang trabaho mo ay "necessary and desirable," kung hindi, seasonal ka at puwede kang i-endo. Naranasan na namin sa TV network na sabihang hindi necessary and desirable kahit na producer, cameramen o researcher kami.
Kasi nga kung mai-defend ng kumpanya na hindi naman necessary o desirable ang trabaho, puwedeng hindi i-regular. May desisyon noong 2018 ang Supreme Court na pinaburan ang sugar millers. Sabi kasi ng kumpanya nila - seasonal lang naman ang milling, hindi sila permanent.
On One PH's Kandidatalks, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr defends President Rodrigo Duterte's veto of the Anti-Endo measure, says there are really seasonal workers. "We have to adjust to reality, pero ibigay natin ang safety na pagka hindi seasonal na may security." @rapplerdotcom
Read this for the nitty gritty of passing an anti-endo law. In 2019, a labor lawyer proposed it can be as simple as changing the word "or" to "and" in the labor code to get rid of the widespread endo scheme of subcontracting rappler.com/nation/electio…
Marcos used to be in favor of suspending excise tax on oil, this was around the time he got a transport group's endorsement, but he has since changed his stance, giving merit to DOF's argument it will lose govt profits. Marcos suggests: Use tax to subsidize oil.
Following Jose Montemayor's vaccine misinfo in last night's debate, Moreno's VP bet Doc Willie Ong says he would just expect moderators to more actively fact-check. Ong promotes vaccination. He doesn't comment on Mocha Uson's support for Moreno @rapplerdotcom
Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said they have done a debrief after last nigh's debate and is looking into how the program can more actively fact check on the spot.
VP bet Rizalito David said candidates must now unite behind unified tandems to defeat Marcos and Duterte. David says in the VP race, he's willing to withdraw to make way for potential winnable bet Senate President Tito Sotto
FACT CHECK: Bongbong Marcos told One News he had never seen gold. It's a different tune from records we obtained showing in 1990 he told Inquirer "only I know where [the gold] is and how to get to it" & in 2007 he told court trading gold was their source of wealth @rapplerdotcom
If Marcos says that "sa buong buhay ko hindi pa ko nakakakita ng gold," why submit a pleading to Sandiganbayan in 2007 staking claim to Payanig property because their legitimate wealth "includes trading of precious metals." This was junked by Sandiganbayan way back July 2007.
In 2007, Marcos' lawyer Erme Labayog attended Laoag RTC hearing to perpetuate testimony of Constante Rubio who claimed he was a close associate when the dictator traded gold. Marcos through Manila lawyers then attached that to their SB pleading to claim Payanig. They failed.
JUST IN: Office of the Solicitor General files a petition with the Supreme Court asking to rescind Rappler's fact checking agreement with Comelec. But SolGen Jose Calida aren't here, neither are lawyers, they sent admin staff to file @rapplerdotcom
We haven't seen the petition but according to the press statement, OSG argued the fact checking deal constituted the unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech. This is unchartered territory, using the press' favorite defense against the press.
In OSG's letter earlier sent to Comelec, Calida said the fact checks will violate free speech as it "has become highly contentious as it may result to a monopoly of truths."
We're in Masbate for Bongbong Marcos' 2nd Bicol stop. He's claiming lead over Robredo in her own bailiwick, citing surveys. In that aspect, this leg has something to prove. Sorsogon had a so-so crowd, let's see turnout here where Marcos is endorsed by Gov Tony Kho @rapplerdotcom
LOOK: Members of a Marian Catholic group Ina Poon Bato Simbahang Naglalakbay waiting for Marcos' arrival at the Masbate airport, say Imelda and the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos are devotees
Senator Migz Zubiri joins Uniteam here in Masbate. Zubiri is in the Lacson, Marcos, Pacquiao and Robredo slates.
We've also seen senatorial bets Sherwin Gatchalian, Mark Villar and Jinggoy Estrada deplane. Waiting for Marcos to arrive.