INQUIRER.net Eleksyon 2007

GO cancels another rally

Inquirer

Nestor P. Burgos Jr. Juliet Labog-Javellana

ILOILO CITY—For still unclear reasons, the Genuine Opposition canceled its second major out-of-town campaign sortie scheduled yesterday in Antique.

San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, outgoing GO campaign manager, said they decided to skip the Antique leg of their campaign because of “local issues.”

He said they called off the Antique leg of the campaign upon the advice of senior opposition leader, former Sen. Ernesto Maceda, “in order not to antagonize” their local allies.

Ejercito declined to give any details, saying he was not in a position to disclose the issues.

But Rodolfo Cañeda, team leader of the GO campaign sortie in Panay, said in a telephone interview that the party’s national headquarters directed them to cancel the trip “for security reasons.” He could not say whether it was related to the alleged threats that caused the cancellation of the GO rally in Iloilo City last Wednesday.

Ejercito, however, denied this.

“It’s political … a local candidate issue,” he told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

Cañeda said the candidates and the campaign team were instead directed to return to Manila yesterday for a meeting “to assess the performance of the candidates.”

The GO candidates including Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Loren Legarda, Sonia Roco, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Anna Dominique “Nikki” Coseteng, John Osmeña and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III were in Iloilo on Wednesday and in Capiz on Thursday.

Former Assemblyman Arturo Pacificador, who’s being considered the opposition candidate for provincial governor, said the GO candidates were scheduled to arrive in Bugasong town, Antique around 8 a.m. yesterday from Roxas City, motor to the capital town of San Jose and meet with the students there.

They also scheduled a press conference at noon at Pacificador’s residence in Barangay Lapaz in Hamtic town.

Pacificador also said the rally was cancelled for security reasons.

Pacificador, who was tried for the murder of his political rival, Evelio Javier, in 1986, was exonerated in 2004.

Threat or gimmick?

Last Wednesday, the GO’s rally in Iloilo City was canceled after the opposition camp in Iloilo allegedly received calls and text messages warning of violence if the rally pushed through.

But Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, a close ally of President Macapagal-Arroyo, said there were no reports from the city’s police force of any threats as alleged by provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada who disclosed the alleged threats to reporters.

Treñas, in a telephone interview, called the alleged threats as a “publicity gimmick because only 100 supporters showed up” in the rally at the Iloilo provincial capitol.

“If we can maintain the peace and safety of a million people attending the Dinagyang, we are surely capable of securing a much smaller and controlled crowd like a political rally,” said Treñas, referring to the annual Ati-Atihan festival of the city.

Serious incident

However, Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas said he received two calls from his allies warning of a “serious incident” had the rally pushed through. He was not one to take these things lightly.

“The safety of everyone is important. The senatorial candidates can always come back,” he said.

At round 7:30 p.m., half an hour after the scheduled start of the GO rally in Iloilo City, two entertainers, Tiya Pusit and Inday Garutay, were working up a sparse crowd of about 100 when Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada went up the stage in front of the Iloilo provincial capitol and announced that the rally was being called off because of a threat.

Mejorada told the crowd that the decision was reached after an exchange of phone calls between Tupas, Sen. Franklin Drilon, Ejercito and himself.

From bad to worse?

The senatorial candidates—Aquino, Roco, Coseteng, Osmeña, Pimentel, Escudero and Legarda—were still traveling to Iloilo City from the town sorties when the announcement was made. Instead of proceeding to the rally, they went to dyFM Bombo Radyo for a live interview.

For his part, Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio said the cancellation of GO’s first provincial rally in Iloilo was not due to any alleged threats.

“I think the opposition will have to admit that the campaign or the rally of GO in Iloilo was canceled simply because they could not muster more than a hundred participants,” Claudio said.

With no machinery, no crowds and no unity, the GO campaign could only go from bad to worse, he added.

In contrast, Claudio said the “formidable government machinery” would soon be harnessed to spell victory for Team Unity and the administration’s local candidates.

He said President Macapagal-Arroyo was satisfied with Team Unity’s campaign and showing thus far, saying it was more organized and better received by the people than the opposition ticket.

Ominous sign

Team Unity media chief Ben Evardone said the cancelation of the Capiz rally was an “ominous sign” for GO.

In a text message to the Inquirer, Evardone said: “Their campaign is collapsing from the absence of a well-defined organization and the lack of grassroots support. GO is trying to mask its weakness by resorting to all kinds of antics which reveal that it is bankrupt of ideas and legitimate issues.”

According to Claudio, the opposition is hard put to organize rallies because there are only three provinces and two cities (Makati and San Juan) which are identified with the opposition.

And not all of those officials, he said, were “outspokenly against” the administration. “So it’s very clear that the opposition is very chaotic and the administration has nothing to do with it. The opposition has the right to its self-destruction.”

Belittles survey results

On the other hand, Claudio said 90 percent of the local officials, from congressmen to governors and mayors, are allied with the administration.

Offering no apologies, he said the administration will harness this “formidable juggernaut” to propel Team Unity and administration candidates to victory.

He belittled the Pulse Asia survey showing GO candidates leading the survey in Manila.

“Let’s bear in mind that the campaign for local candidates has not started. This is when we expect the machinery which includes Lakas, Kampi, NPC (Nationalist People’s Coalition), LP (Liberal Party, Atienza wing) and others. This will make a great big difference as far as the momentum of coalition candidates is concerned. We do expect that the emergence of the machinery of the administration will spell the victory of Team Unity,” Claudio said.

He clarified that the use of the government machinery did not mean government resources were being used for the campaign of Team Unity.

“We’re talking about the clout, influence, power and credibility of mostly incumbent officials supporting the administration,” Claudio said.

‘Hello Garci’ again

He denied that government funds were being used for Team Unity’s pulong-sulong or small town hall meetings being held in lieu of campaign rallies.

Claudio also said Team Unity was prepared to discuss issues being brought up by the opposition, including the “Hello Garci” scandal wherein President Macapagal-Arroyo was caught on tape talking to Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano in the middle of the canvassing of the 2004 elections.

“We don’t have anything to be afraid of. We are used to dealing with the black propaganda of the opposition and we know where the dirty tricks, the muckraking and the insults are coming from,” he said. “In the end, members of Team Unity will have no particular discomfort tackling these issues.” With reports from Ma. Diosa Labiste in Visayas and Gil Cabacungan in Manila

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