ILOILO City – After bagging an overwhelming score of 64.7% or 213,988 votes in the recent survey of the region’s most trusted polling firm Random Access Consultants, Inc. (RACI), Cong. Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda is expected to further increase her lead in the May 9 polls with the endorsement of the influential Iglesia ni Cristo and other religious groups as well as that of Sen. Franklin Drilon, Mayor Jerry Treñas and various organizations.
“It is impossible as the parting of the Red Sea to come near the score of Cong. Baronda. If all 330,470 registered voters cast their votes, she would have a lead of at least 101,537 votes or 30.7% as RACI said her rival got only 34%. It would take Moses to come near her tail. Worse for Baronda’s rival, she was endorsed by Iglesia ni Cristo. That’s the kiss of death for him. That would further increase Baronda’s votes,” a political analyst who requested anonymity for fear of getting bashed by Baronda’s rival’s trolls, said.
Drilon earlier endorsed her and asked barangay leaders to ensure her electoral victory. An overwhelming majority of punong barangays, kagawads, treasurers, secretaries, Sangguniang Kabataan officials, youth leaders, and 25,000 barangay leaders assured her of their all-out support.
Jesus is Lord Movement, Ang Dios Gugma and other religious sects have also expressed their support.
Baronda, in several media interviews, credited her track record, performance and feats in and out of the halls of Congress for enabling her to keep her immense popularity and the support of the Ilonggos.
“The Ilonggos have seen how I worked hard for them, may it be about legislation or projects. We would have achieved more if not for the pandemic. But be that as it may, we have done a lot to bring the national government closer to the Ilonggos. We made our people feel and experience the love of our government,” Baronda told Panay News.
Her numerous COVID-response initiatives and assistance despite having no calamity fund, her legislative output where she filed 163 bills of which 75 were passed on final reading and 32 becoming laws, her qualifications such as her master’s degree in public administration, and her responsive and realistic platform of doubling her Governance of “H.O.P.E.” make the Ilonggos love her even more.
“The Ilonggos have seen how productive my collaboration with Mayor Jerry Treñas is in terms of the infrastructure projects we have worked together to have, in terms of programs we have extended to our people especially the pandemic assistance to various sectors, and the pieces of legislation I have filed with his support. Our people want this to be continued. They want more Gugma, Uswag and Arriva,” Baronda further said.
In her second term, Baronda vows to champion pro-people initiatives on housing, overseas Filipino workers’ welfare, projects for preparedness, and environmental protection on top of the existing health, obra, peace and order, and education advocacies./PN
