'Solid North' now a thing of the past - Keon

MANILA, Philippines - The so-called “Solid North” of the late President Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s is now a thing of the past, borne out of the generation gap between elders and the youth in what is touted as the bailiwick of the Marcoses in the Ilocos region.

This was the candid and honest assessment of Ilocos Norte Gov. Michael Marcos-Keon, a nephew of the late strongman and first cousin of Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., his older sister Imee and youngest sister Irene.

“There is no more Solid North nowadays. Let us just say that you now have a younger electorate that is more discerning and discriminating. Times have really changed,” he told reporters in a chance interview.

Keon said yellow ribbons have been all over the provincial capitol, and the posters of the Liberal Party tandem of Senators Benigno “Nonoy” Aquino III and Mar Roxas II have been displayed in conspicuous areas because the LP has adopted him as its gubernatorial candidate in the May 10 polls.

Keon is running against Imee, who is under the banner of the Nacionalista Party of Sen. Manny Villar. He, however, said he is officially endorsing Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro, he being from the administration party.

Keon added though that he will not be campaigning against any particular presidential candidate, making Ilocos Norte a “free zone.” But he admitted that Teodoro has the advantage because of his ability to speak the dialect.

“I’m supporting Gibo, of course because I’m from Lakas,” he said, although he refused to say categorically if he is personally keen on endorsing Aquino, especially since his cousins are on the other side of the political fence.

Keon, whose mother Elizabeth is the sister of the late strongman, said he is supporting the senatorial candidacy of Bongbong, but not of his sister Imee, who is his challenger.

“But I must say it’s a good fight (between us). But I cannot say anything more than that,” he said, drawing laughter from Manila-based reporters covering the sorties of Aquino and Roxas.