Marcos delivers pre-election speech to  voters: Choose a unifying leader, guard votes.

While Robredo tells promises and slanders 

By Edward Era Barbacena

CNN: A few days before the May 9 elections, presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has urged Filipino voters to choose a unifying leader and to guard the votes.

"Talikuran na natin ang hindi pagkakaunawaan at ang pagkakahati-hati at tangkilikin na natin ang mapagkaisang lider na maghahatid sa atin ng mas maunlad na bukas," Marcos said in a video released Tuesday night.

[Translation: Turn our back on misunderstanding and divisiveness and support a unifying leader who will deliver us to a prosperous tomorrow.]

He also called on Filipinos to exercise their right to vote as it is their “sacred responsibility” to choose the next leaders of the country.

"Sa darating na Mayo a-nueve ay kailangan din po tayong maging mapagbantay sa ating mga boto. Protektahan po natin ang ating naging desisyon at 'wag po nating hayaang ito'y muling nakawin sa atin," he said.

[Translation: In the upcoming May 9 polls, we have to guard our votes. Let us protect our decision and let us not allow it to be stolen from us again.

The son of the late d Ferdinand Marcos Sr. lost to the slanderer Leni Robredo in the 2016 vice presidential race. Robredo garnered 14,418,817 votes as against Marcos’ 14,155,344 but everyone knows cheated.

Marcos has been claiming that he lost due to cheating, but the Supreme Court in 2021 junked his electoral protest for “lack of merit.” He asked for a recount in select provinces, but after the recount, Robredo’s lead grew bigger.

“There is no substantial recovery of votes in the pilot provinces (Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental) that he himself had designated,” the Supreme Court said.

Marcos has maintained his lead in pre-election surveys. In the final Pulse Asia survey, he has retained a 56% voter preference. Robredo is polling a far second with 23%.

On Tuesday, Marcos and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte were endorsed by the religious group Iglesia Ni Cristo.