Press Release
April 12, 2016

BACOLOD BISHOP TO BONGBONG MARCOS: KEEP YOUR COOL, CONTINUE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE

Negros Occidental Bishop Vicente Navarra today gave his blessings to vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. saying he should maintain his composure in the midst of attacks and remain friends with everyone including his detractors.

This developed as Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Maranon, a member of the ruling Liberal Party, expressed admiration on the way Marcos handled himself in the vice presidential debate at the University of Santo Tomas last Sunday.

"I was nervous the whole time when they were ganging up on you but I admire how you handled it and kept your cool," Maranon told Marcos at the start of their meeting at the provincial capitol.

Marcos was in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental on the second-day of his Unity Caravan in Western Visayas.

But Marcos told Maranon that he was expecting the tirades. "We expected it so we prepared for it. Alam mo naman ang politika. There's no use fighting back. I just had to answer and give the people my plans and platforms," he told the governor, who had openly endorsed the administration ticket.

While in Bacolod, Marcos together with members of his family paid a courtesy call on Navarra and held a private meeting with the prelate at the Bishop's Residence.

After their meeting, Navarra told the media that he had told the senator to keep his cool and remain friends with everyone.

"We discussed everything under the sun and I told him to keep his cool and treat everyone his friends and continue with his desire to serve if he gets elected vice president," Navarra said.

Before going to Bacolod, Marcos also visited Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo at the Archbishop's residence in Jaro. Lagdameo said he will pray for Marcos.

Upon arriving in Bacolod, Marcos was greeted by a large crowd who waited for him at the port to welcome him.

In a press conference at the Sugarland Hotel, Marcos said he has always considered himself Ilonggo by choice because married an Ilongga from Negros Occidental. The senator is married to lawyer, Loiuse Araneta of Bago City.

"As I know almost everyone here in Negros are Ilonggo by birth but I have always considered myself an Ilonggo by choice because I am married to an Ilongga from Negros Occidental so I have always had a special feeling for Bacolod and Negros Occidental," he said.

Aside from Bishop Navarra and Governor Maranon, Marcos was scheduled to meet with sugar barons of Negros Occidental in the afternoon.

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