Political news , opinions and views for 2010 Presidential election

April 28, 2010

Volunteers vow to deliver 2.5 million votes for Gibo in Metro Manila

By Perseus Echeminada (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=570455&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - A community-based volunteer movement yesterday vowed to deliver some 2.5 million votes for administration presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro in Metro Manila.

The Palit Galing Movement said they have already recruited at least 250,000 residents in Metro Manila that will deliver the “swing vote” for Teodoro and the administration candidates.

“Metro Manila will be the swing vote in the May 10 presidential elections, we will deliver 2.5 million votes to administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro,” declared the group’s leader, Suzette Salazar.

Even without support from the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Salazar boasted they could deliver the votes for Teodoro from the grassroots.

“We are operating outside the party machinery and we just rely on the corps of volunteers who believe in the leadership qualities of Gibo Teodoro,” Salazar said.

She said the silent majority of voters in Metro Manila are in favor of Teodoro to become the next president.

Salazar, a physician who specializes in internal medicine, said their group was surprised by the turnout of support for Teodoro in the urban poor communities.

“We thought only the upper classes are in favor of Gibo. But we were surprised that the urban poor communities, particularly the organized ones, welcomed Gibo’s platform of government as realistic and practical,” Salazar said.

Salazar said their group had to employ novel and exciting forms of campaigning to encourage undecided voters to tudy and consider the platform of government of Teodoro.

She said the group went through repairing dilapidated houses under “Extreme House Makeover,” launching a personality and talent search “Guwapo at Talino,” held medical missions, motorcade by mobile campaign teams, and volunteers’ enlistment.

On the other hand, Lakas party leaders are pressing Speaker Prospero Nograles to quit the administration party if he could not support Teodoro.

Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia said Nograles should resign from Lakas if he could not stand supporting the administration standard-bearer.

“Rather than impose sanctions, Nograles (and his followers) should disassociate themselves from the party,” Garcia said.

Garcia also assured Teodoro of at least one million votes from Cebu.

He said the people in Cebu are beginning to take a second look at Teodoro, even if he is still trailing in the surveys.

On the other hand, Lakas-Kampi secretary-general Ray Roquero said Nograles had already crossed the line in committing acts inimical to the party when he declared that he would not be supporting Teodoro.

“Such an act alone could already subject him to disciplinary sanctions,” he said.

Roquero stressed Nograles should support Teodoro as required by the party.

“It is in the oath of office of members that you have to support the party’s candidates, especially its standard bearer,” he said.

Nograles, however, questioned the legitimacy of party leaders calling for punitive actions against him for not supporting Teodoro.

Nograles said the “self-appointed” party officials are free to impose any disciplinary action against him provided that they do the same to Teodoro who had resigned as party chairman and is supporting his political rival, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City.

Nograles is running for mayor against Duterte’s daughter Sara, the incumbent vice mayor. Duterte, on the other hand, is running as his daughter’s vice mayoral teammate. – With Jaime Laude, Jess Diaz

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