The senatorial slate of the Marcos administration – the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas – hailed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as a “popular endorser,” saying his backing gives the administration’s Senate slate a major advantage in Negros Oriental.

"Any endorser from a popular endorser will definitely boost or help the chances of those being endorsed. And you, yourself, stated a while ago … that the President overwhelmingly won in Negros Oriental,” said former Senator Panfilo Lacson.

"So the other half is it’s up to us to inform the people what our platforms are, what our accomplishments and all. So the way to do it is the same way that we are campaigning in the other parts of the country,” he added.

Lacson’s remarks reflect the confidence of Alyansa’s candidates, who are relying on a combination of the President’s strong backing and their own governance experience to secure votes in the province, a stronghold for Marcos in the 2022 elections.

During the 2022 polls, Marcos topped the presidential race in Negros Oriental with 254,806 votes.

Other members of Alyansa echoed Lacson’s sentiments, pointing out that the President’s previous victory in Negros Oriental serves as a strong foundation for the coalition’s campaign.

House Deputy Majority Leader and former Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said that the administration’s fulfillment of its promises in Negros Oriental will reinforce voter trust in Alyansa.

Meantime, Former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III highlighted the strength of the Alyansa slate and the President’s endorsement as key factors in their confidence.

Responding to a question on whether they believe the President’s victory would extend to the Alyansa slate, Sotto said, “The answer is yes, obviously, because the President is endorsing us. And if you look at the lineup—the 12 candidates of Alyansa—we are confident that the people of Negros Oriental will see the experience and the help that we’ve given the country, the efforts as public servants that we have served.”

Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, on the other hand, stressed that while the President’s endorsement is a powerful boost, the public service records of administration candidates remain their strongest asset.

“So, I guess we always say that we are confident to win in the area that we are going into. I guess the fact that the President won here in 2022 is an added bonus, especially if you are part of the administration’s slate,” Binay said.

“But if you notice the speech of the President, he consistently says, some of us are lawyers, some of us are congressmen, some of us have previous experience in government. So we are chosen based on our track record, based on our qualities, our capabilities, or what kind of service we can give to the government,” she added.