Campaign starts
The 45- day campaign period for local candidates officially starts today but most of the local parties, except for One Cebu, will start their campaign on Monday yet.
One Cebu Party led by its gubernatorial candidate Winston Garcia is set to kick off its campaign with a motorcade at 2 p. m. today in Borbon town.
This will be followed by a formal opening salvo at 5 p.m. in the Barangay Campusong covered court. It will be attended by One Cebu's local slate led by its mayoralty candidate, incumbent Vice Mayor Noel Dotillos, and his runningmate, former councilor Roy Melgo.
The Liberal Party in the province led by incumbent Governor Hilario Davide III will start its campaign sortie tomorrow with a caravan. The LP will have a 3-day caravan around the province.
The caravan will start with a Mass in St. Michael's Parish in Argao town. Lawyer Ramil Abing, executive assistant, said the party chose Argao to kickoff LP's campaign because it is the hometown of the governor.
From Argao, the LP candidates will motorcade to Santander where they will stop for lunch before heading to Dumanjug where a grand rally will be held at night.
Abing said they chose Dumanjug since it is part of the new congressional district.
"Crucial man na, new district man na, unya crucial na for us ang 7th district for our congressional slate," Abing told The FREEMAN.
On the second day of the caravan, the LP candidates will have a Mass in Barili in the morning. After the Mass, officials of the party will go to the public market to have their breakfast and handshaking.
From Barili, the candidates will proceed to Asturias for lunch then proceed to Daanbantayan in the north where they will have another rally in the evening.
The caravan will culminate in Consolacion with a grand rally in Orosia Park.
"Our original plan is to cover everything but dili man mi maka-motorcade sa Mandaue kay traffic man" Abing said.
He said the party has decided to have a different approach in the first district considering that it was declared free zone for LP candidates.
According to Joey Herrera, campaign coordinator of the liberal party in the province, the local candidates will be joined by some LP senatorial candidates. One of those who already confirmed was Mark Lapid.
ONE CEBU At 8 a.m. on Monday, One Cebu Party will join the opening salvo and the proclamation of Team Asenso in Toledo City led by former mayor Aurelio "Rudy" Espinosa and his runningmate Councilor Ricardo "Kuya Nick" Pepito.
One Cebu candidates in Consolacion led by its mayoralty bet, Councilor Ma. Analee Gungob, will also hold its caravan at 8 a.m. tomorrow but Garcia will only join the rally in the evening at City Mall.
Also at 6 a. m. tomorrow, a torch parade will be held in Cordova to be joined by the group of Provincial Board Member Arleigh Jay Sitoy, who is running for mayor under Partido Demokratiko Pilipino- Lakas ng Bayan ( PDP- Laban) but is supporting the Garcia and his runningmate Nerissa Soon-Ruiz.
CEBU CITY
The Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan will start its campaign with a Mass tomorrow. The Partido Panaghiusa sa Panerbisyo-Tungod Sa Gugma- Team Rama- United Nationalist Alliance of incumbent Cebu City Mayor Michael
Rama will start their campaign on Tuesday at the Plaza Independencia.
Osmeña said the Mass will be held at 3 p.m. It will be attended by all candidates of BOPK from the north and south districts.
Rama, on the other hand, said their campaign will start with a "simple Mass…no fanfare". Both BOPK and Team Rama, however, are expecting national candidates to join them. BOPK is expecting LP senatorial candidates while Team Rama is expecting UNA candidates led by Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Meanwhile, Police Regional Office 7 has warned all law enforcers who will be escorting local politicians to secure authority from the Commission on Elections.
PRO-7 director Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan said the police will arrest whoever is caught violating the Comelec regulations.
"Kung may mga armado hindi naka uniporme, we will arrest them, kahit sino pa. Wag silang mag- act na body guard kung wala silang Comelec clearance," Gaerlan said.—