MANILA, Philippines – Add a wildly popular young actress, a comedian known for his antics online and offline, and a basketball hot shot who was once married to a presidential sister to the long list of local celebrities endorsing the ruling Liberal Party (LP)’s standard bearer Manuel Roxas II.
It was during a Saturday, November 21 gathering of youth supporters in Cubao, Quezon City, where a video featuring Roxas’ celebrity endorsers was flashed on screen.
— Bea Cupin (@beacupin) November 21, 2015It was the final endorser, teen heartthrob Daniel Padilla, who elicited the most screams from an audienced composed primarily of college and high school students.
The video, which has yet to be made available online, was a mix of normal folk and celebrities, all talking about why they were going to vote for Roxas:
- John Prats
- Billy Crawford
- Jay-R
- Kris Lawrence
- Ramon Bautista
- Carla Abellana
- James Yap
- Karylle
- Jason Francisco
- Mela Cantiveros
- Chokoleit
- MC
- Donita Nose
- Lassy
- Kathryn Bernardo
- Daniel Padilla
Although he is the ruling party and the administration’s presidential bet for 2016, Roxas’ numbers have been anything but dominant.
He was at a measly 4% more than a year ago, but has recently shot up to around 20 percentage points following the endorsement of President Benigno Aquino III.
His is a campaign that hinges on the promise of continuing the gains of the current administration and the certainty of a Roxas administration.
Video testimonies of Roxas’ celebrity and non-celebrity endorsers repeatedly emphasized the former interior secretary’s decades-long track record in government.
The following day, Roxas' wife, broadcaster Korina Sanchez-Roxas, posted a photo of Padilla and Bernardo flashing the "Laban" sign alongside herself and Roxas. (READ: KathNiel to endorse Mar Roxas for president in 2016)
Daang Matuwid or the administration’s good governance platform benefits the youth the most, Roxas told a crowd of over 2,000 students.
Among the attendees of the event were several young government workers and officials including National Youth Council Chairman Undersecretary Gio Tingson and Budget Department Internal Management chief Undersecretary Claire Amador.
The Saturday gathering is only the latest in the LP standard bearer’s sorties that put an emphasis on the youth. According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), more than a third of the country’s registered voters are between the ages of 18 to 35-years-old.– Rappler.com