ABRA, Philippines – It was the late president Ferdinand E. Marcos who established the so-called Solid North, a voting bloc in Northern Luzon that delivered votes for the political strongman in his heyday. It was so formidable that his opponents would get zero votes in some Ilocos towns.
When the power of the Marcoses waned after the 1986 EDSA Revolution, the Solid North seemed to have vanished. Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo hailed from the North but could not revive it. The Solid North appeared to be solely for the Marcoses.
The bloc delivered for Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he ran for president in 2022, sweeping almost all the provinces in Northern Luzon. During the midterm elections, it again delivered for the Marcoses.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Ilocanos resurrected the Solid North.
“I think the Solid North myth is alive,” Bersamin said. “It may not be perfect, that is monolithic, but it has shown itself. This was manifested when the great majority voted for Imee.”
As of Wednesday, May 14, Senator Imee Marcos is still clinging on the 12th spot in the polls and may secure a fresh term because of the Solid North, Bersamin said.
Among the provinces where Marcos topped the senatorial polls are Ilocos Norte (where she previously served as governor and representative), Ilocos Sur, Abra, Apayao, and Cagayan.
In Ilocos Norte, nearly 60% of voters – a little less than 260,000 – chose Imee, while second-placer Erwin Tulfo garnered nearly 26% or 113,000 votes. This meant many voters in Ilocos Norte voted solely for her.
Senator Bong Go, who currently leads the senatorial race nationwide, placed only 14th there. Second-placer Bam Aquino, a former senator, ranked 6th in Ilocos Norte.
In Ilocos Sur, Imee secured 37.84% of the votes, while Tulfo followed with 28.64%. Tulfo topped the senatorial races in Isabela, Quirino, La Union, and Benguet provinces.
Go led in Batanes, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Nueva Vizcaya, while Aquino topped Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Tarlac, and Santiago City. Meanwhile, ex-senator Ping Lacson led in Baguio City.
In Region I – composed of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, and Pangasinan – Imee is currently in first place with 1,211,686 votes. Close behind is Tulfo with 1,181,036, followed by Aquino with 1,078,037 and ex-senator Tito Sotto with 1,018,438. Go is in fifth place.
In Region II or Cagayan Valley – composed of Batanes, Cagayan, Quirino, and Isabela – Tulfo leads, followed by Imee, Go, and Aquino.
In previous elections, former vice president Jejomar Binay topped the polls in this region because he traces his roots to Cagayan Valley, despite his name being associated with Makati. His daughter, Abby Binay, is currently 7th in Region II.
In the Cordillera Administrative Region, Tulfo leads with 35.74% or 394,944 votes, followed by Go with 32.17% (355,508) and Imee with 31.71% (350,384). Lacson is 5th, while Aquino is 11th.
Combined, in Regions I, II, and CAR, Tulfo is on the top with 2,316,753 votes, followed by Imee with 2,240,834. Go has 1,988,248 and Aquino 1,961,813. Lacson ranks fifth.
Region III or Central Luzon is sometimes included due to the Ilocano population on the fringes of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.
However, including Central Luzon alters the political landscape, as it is Aquino’s stronghold.
Aquino has a half-million-vote lead over other candidates in the region, with 3,082,276 or 40% of the vote.
Go follows with 2,496,109 or 32.4%, Sotto with 2,378,117 or 30.89%, and Aquino ally Kiko Pangilinan in fourth with 2,129,000 votes.
Imee ranks only 14th in Region III.
If Central Luzon is included in the Solid North, Aquino leads with 5,044,089 votes, followed by Go (4,484,357), Tulfo (4,444,426), Sotto (4,212,953), and Lacson (3,867,297). Imee is sixth with 3,753,488 votes – enough to secure her a new term in the Senate. The Solid North will also remain a force in the House of Representatives.
Deputy Speaker Kristine Singson-Meehan, one of the leaders of the Northern Alliance, said many of its members are returning.
Meehan said the Northern Alliance has 45 members.
“Depending on the party-list representatives, we don’t know if we will expand or contract,” she said.
The Northern Alliance, a House bloc founded by Meehan’s father, Candon City Mayor Eric Singson, and Luis “Chavit” Singson, comprises representatives with Ilocano heritage. Some members hail from Mindanao, as their parents were Ilocano migrants, Meehan said.
She said the Northern Alliance had been voting as a bloc on certain measures, including the motion to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte. – Rappler.com