LP sends Kris to woo north

04/04/10 - ACTRESS Kris Aquino admits the administration party in Cebu is well-organized, but this is no reason to worry because it is always better when people support a candidate based on sincerity.

Kris spent the day in Cebu, campaigning in the northern towns and cities for her brother, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, vice presidential bet Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, Cebu gubernatorial candidate Hilario “Junjun” Davide III, Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez, congressional candidate Celestino “Tining” Martinez III and others.

She was accompanied by her sister, Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, and Junjun’s father, former chief justice Hilario Davide Jr., and other local candidates and officials.

In a brief press conference at the house of Bogo City Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr., Kris was asked if she believes
Cebu will deliver votes for her brother.

‘From the heart’

Her answer was long in coming, allowing Tining to quip, “Yes.” This provoked a question on whether she feared the machinery of the administration in Cebu.

Kris, in her signature Taglish, answered: “Hindi ako scared, I’m trying to word it in a way na hindi ako maka-offend. Alam mo,
iba ‘yong organisado sa kusa. Iba ‘yong galing sa puso talaga. Iba ‘yong maramdaman mo na lumabas sila sa kalye, nagwawagayway sila nang anything yellow to show their support. Na alam mong hindi hinakot, alam mong hindi nabayaran to be there (I’m not scared, I’m trying not to offend anybody. It’s different when something is organized than when it is out of sincerity. It’s different when it’s from the heart, when you see they are out on the streets, waving anything yellow to show their support. When you know that they were not gathered and not paid to be there).”

Kris admitted she saw the rally of the local supporters of Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidate Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. last week.

One million

But she also said she believes in the Cebuanos because they have always been big supporters of her mother, the late president Corazon Aquino, and her brother Noynoy, when he ran for the Senate in 2007.

Junie said he, too, trusts the vote of the Cebuanos and told the audience at the Bogo City Sports Complex they should not believe Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s promise of one million votes for Teodoro.

“Don’t believe her because I will deliver one million votes for Noynoy,” Junie said.

Davide didn’t promise any numbers, but he said: “We will win in Cebu, overwhelmingly.”

His running mate, Vice Governor Sanchez, said in an earlier interview that delivering one million votes for a province, with a voter turnout of over 1.2 million in 2007, is like daydreaming.

Sanchez, though, said he believes Noynoy will still win on May 10, considering the latter’s standing in the surveys.

Kris’s sister Ballsy said yesterday was the last major national LP campaign in Cebu.

First stop

It started with a caravan in Bantayan Island, covering the three municipalities of Madridejos, Bantayan and Sta. Fe. The group then hopped to Bogo City on a chopper, before heading to Danao City and Lapu-Lapu City, followed by a concert in Cebu City.

Kris will visit vote-rich areas in the next few days. She said it was Noynoy who identified Cebu as the first of her many stops in the last week of the election campaign.

The north was chosen this time, through Tining’s recommendation, because the LP has already gone around the other districts, Davide said.

The stopover in Cebu was not just for the Noynoy-Roxas tandem but also to show the LP’s support for Davide.

“To show our gratitude and to give our support so sana maging Governor Davide, kasi ang tapang niya to take on this fight,” said Kris, referring to the contest between the former Cebu City councilor and the governor, who has served two terms.

As for her brother, Kris expects there will be a bandwagon effect in the next few days that will seal his victory.

‘Enough’

Kris also admitted she is fed up with having to defend Noynoy against questions on his mental state.

“I already said na nabwibwisit na ako at gusto ko silang saksakin kasi nakakapikon na already (I’m already fed up and I’m beginning to lose my patience),” she said in jest.

She said Noynoy’s opponents can’t pin anything negative on him, so they come up with below-the-belt accusations.

The crowd was told Kris was scheduled to arrive at 1 p.m. but they gathered as early as 11 a.m. in the Don Celestino Martinez Cultural and Sports Complex.

“The barangay captain told us no food will be given to us because of the lack of funds, but it doesn’t matter because I want to be here to show my support for the next president,” said Tita Gelig, a health worker.

The City of Bogo Anti-Illegal Task Force estimated there were 15,000-20,000 people present. Mayor Martinez said the stadium’s capacity is 10,000-12,000.

Spiel

During the program, Aquino, Boy Abunda, Mayor Martinez, Junjun Davide and Tining Martinez sang the theme song from Kris’s soap opera, “Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo.”

Kris pulled a lady from the crowd, Jennifer, and asked her why she will vote for Noynoy. “Dahil karapatdapat siya (Because he is worthy),” Jennifer said.

When Kris asked why she thought Noynoy was worth voting for, Jennifer could not say anything. Kris answered for her, “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” She added that Noynoy would never embarrass the memory of their parents.

Kris Aquino and her party stayed in Bogo for no more than an hour but the people waited hours to hear what she had to say.
People power

Also in Cebu yesterday, but in a separate press conference, Senate candidate Risa Hontiveros said the spreading of a fake psychiatric report is part of their opponents’ disqualification plan against Senator Aquino.

“Their mudslinging failed. Their claim that Senator Aquino is incompetent did not latch. Their game plan now is to file a baseless disqualification case against him a few days before the election to make the documents appear valid and legitimate,” Hontiveros said.

One of the LP’s campaign managers, Sen. Francisco Pangilinan, questioned the kind of leadership their opponents are showing. “We believe the people are intelligent enough and will neglect this kind of bankrupt politicking,” Pangilinan said.

The NP has challenged Aquino to undergo a psychiatric test. However, the party refused and said they will not “dignify a lie.”

Pangilinan also said Aquino “may have been misunderstood” when reports quoted him as saying there will be another “people power” revolution in case of a failure of elections.

In a television interview, Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales has said he will not support any moves for a revolution.

“The good cardinal must have misunderstood Senator Aquino,” said Pangilinan. What Noynoy meant, he said, was that massive cheating and a failure of elections might provoke people to attempt such a revolution. (Sunstar)