President Carlos P. Garcia's campaign in Cebu
On November 8, 1959 President Carlos P. Garcia of the Nacionalista Party held a rally in Cebu considered as an important battleground for political domination. His wife, Leonila Dimataga was from Opon, Cebu, thus considering himself a Cebuano by affinity aside from being a Boholano. This the Presidents Week in Review recorded in the Official Gazette:
"President Garcia made a final appeal to the country's votes to elect the candidates of the Nacionalista Party at a mammoth miting de avance held at the NP provincial headquarters of Cebu City.
"The rally in Cebu Province where opposing factions are pitted in bitter struggle marks the end of the president's personal campaign for the national and local candidates of the Nacionalista Party.
"The President will proceed tomorrow to his home province of Bohol to cast his ballot in Precinct 3-A of Tagbilaran on Tuesday.
"Shortly before the RPS Lapu-Lapu arrived at San Carlos, Negros Occidental, with a voting population of 14,000 voters, the president and the first lady, as well as members of the presidential party, heard an early morning mass celebrated before an improvised altar in the dining saloon of the ship.
"San Carlos Mayor Sofronio Carmona and other municipal officials headed a huge crowd of welcomers at the wharf, and spontaneous cheers and, shouts of Mabuhay greeted the president and Mrs. Garcia as they stepped down the gangplank and waved at the welcomers.
"After a two-hour long speech at the plaza where he clarified charges and accusations hurled by the opposition and enumerated the achievements of his administration, President Garcia returned to the Lapu-Lapu. Then the ship left for Cebu City.
"The president and his party arrived at Cebu City at 7:30 p.m. were met by a large throng of torch-bearing welcomers led by NP loyalist leaders, Reps. Manuel Zosa and Ramon Durano and Casimiro Madarang, the last two being the faction's candidates for governor of Cebu and mayor of Cebu City, respectively.
"After the reception at the wharf, President Garcia headed the torch parade and marched to the NP headquarters near the wharf. After the successful rally, the president returned to the ship and conferred with the leaders of the NP loyalist faction on the latest development in the local political situation.
"President Garcia summed up the case for the Administration in Tuesday's elections in a nationwide radio-TV chat to the nation this evening.
"Prior to his departure for the South yesterday, the president recorded on film and taped a two-fisted slashing attack against the opposition parties and a vigorous defense of his administration, particularly its bold Filipino-First orientation."