GO
RALLY. Genuine Opposition (GO) senatorial bets Nikki
Coseteng, Sonia Roco and Koko Pimentel with Sen. Jinggoy
Estrada flank local opposition bets for governor, Bobby
Cericos, for vice-governor, Freda Tirol and 1st district
provl board aspirant Yul Lopez during their proclamation
rally last Friday beside the Agora square, this city.
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Six
senatorial candidates of the Genuine Opposition (GO)
including two incumbent opposition senators came to
Bohol for their campaign sortie and the proclamation
rally of local bets who were all expecting financial
and logistical support from the GO national hierarchy.
However,
the release of much-needed funding to wage an electoral
battle against the well-oiled machinery of administration
candidates in the province, never happened.
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Reports
reaching the Chronicle revealed that a group of candidates
for provincial and mayoralty posts arranged a meeting with
the GO senatoriables in the hopes that logistical help will
be provided.
The
group reportedly got out of the meeting disappointed and empty-handed.
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Even
the local opposition's stalwart, 1st district congressional
bet Victor dela Serna, is left on his own resources
to face the formidable two-term 1st district solon,
Rep. Edgar Chatto.
Consistent frontrunner Loren Legarda came a day ahead
of fellow GO senatorial bets Benigno Aquino III, Aquilino
"Koko" Pimentel III, Sonia Malasarte Roco
and Anna Dominique Coseteng and re-electionist Panfilo
Lacson.
Surprisingly, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada also came with the
opposition senatoriables to officially proclaim local
candidates led by first district congressional bet Victor
de la Serna, gubernatorial candidate Bobby Cericos,
vice gubernatorial aspirant Freda Tirol, 1st district
candidate for board member Mayor Yul Lopez and their
municipal candidates.
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Legarda
flew in Wednesday for a two-day sortie in the towns and had
to go back to Manila Thursday afternoon after meeting with
members of the media.
Aquino, Pimentel, Roco, Coseteng and Lacson went to the towns
of Jagna, Guindulman, Trinidad and Calape where they proclaimed
opposition candidates for the towns in each of the three congressional
districts.
The well-attended rally Friday night was unexpected as Bohol
is widely perceived as a pro-Arroyo province.
Proclaimed
as official GO bets were former Albur mayor Jose Ugdoracion
together with his slate.
Re-electionist
Panglao Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan with running mate incumbent
first councilor Leonila Montero and their slate were also
proclaimed.
Loon
mayoralty aspirant Lloyd Lopez and running mate incumbent
Vice Mayor Edwin Ladeza also came with their complete slate.
Mayoralty
candidate of Tubigon town Mark Herrera was also proclaimed
as official bet of GO in said town.
The
candidates of Genuine Opposition in the towns of Catigbian,
Corella and San Isidro were also acknowledged during the proclamation
rally.
A
REAL PUBLIC RALLY
During
his speech, dela Serna took his time lambasting Pres. Arroyo
and the three Boholano solons.
Dela
Serna said the crowd gathered for the GO rally was made possible
through the funds of the party unlike the "sanitized
crowd" that were bused into the CPG Sports Complex during
the Bohol Youth Day celebration that utilized barangay funds.
For
his part, Sen. Estrada declared an all-out support to the
candidacy of dela Serna.
He
said, if elected as first district congressman, Dela Serna
will be the first member of House to file another impeachment
complaint against Pres. Arroyo.
Pimentel
appealed for Boholano voters to support him as he claims Mindanao
and the Visayas regions are under-represented in the Senate.
Pimentel
said, in order to win the senatorial race, he has to get the
support of electors from Visayas and Mindanao.
Pimentel
lauded Boholanos for having successfully promoted Bohol as
a tourist destination. He pointed out the importance of making
Bohol an "international brand" in the tourism industry.
Roco,
assured Boholanos in her speech that yearly budgetary allocation
for education will be increased if she will be elected senator.
She vowed to continue what her husband started as a senator
and secretary of education.
Meanwhile,
Coseteng recalled her younger years when she had the opportunity
to visit Bohol together with her mother, a University of the
Philippines professor, who was then making a book on historical
monuments, churches and houses.
The
former senator said that although Boholanos succeed wherever
they may be, they need not go elsewhere to earn a living as
she compared Bohol's earning potentials to international tourist
destinations such as Bali in Indonesia.
Aquino,
on the other hand, countered the claims of the Arroyo government
of an improved economy. He said there are still 9-million
Filipinos who are living below the poverty level.
The
present administration, Aquino said, does not have programs
to expand the economy which, he says, is 30-50 percent dependent
on the remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Aquino
stressed that among his priorities if elected as senator,
is addressing poverty, improved healthcare programs and bringing
down the prices of medicines.
Lacson
did not attend the proclamation rally as he had to return
to Manila Friday afternoon.
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