Bongbong, Sara supporters asked to postpone caravans in NCR

MANILA, Philippines — The alliance of political parties backing presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his vice presidential running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, advised supporters on Saturday to postpone scheduled “Unity caravans” in Metro Manila due to concerns over a potential resurgence of COVID-19 cases in light of the Omicron variant.

“The safety of everyone is of paramount importance to us. That is why we are advising all our supporters to exercise self restraint in their political mobilization plans in compliance with the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) decision. We are also appealing to our supporters to suspend mass gatherings and obey the guidelines under the Alert level 3,” the UniTeam said in a statement.

This, after Malacañang announced on Friday that Metro Manila will be placed under the stricter Alert Level 3 starting Jan. 3 to 15 amid the “exponential” spike of COVID-19 cases in the region.

Philippine health authorities have detected seven imported and three local cases of the Omicron variant, the Palace and the  Department of Health also said.

The UniTeam asked supporters who are set to hold a unity caravan in Caloocan City on Jan. 2 to postpone their event.

The alliance also called on the public to be vigilant amid the Omicron variant threat.

“We are urging our fellowmen not to let their guards down and instead be vigilant.  Now is not the time to be complacent.  Let’s follow the IATF’s guideline to ensure that we all remain safe,” the UniTeam said.

It likewise encouraged those who remain unvaccinated to get their jabs at the soonest possible time.

“Vaccines are the only sure way to protect oneself against hospitalization or death from the variants that are cropping up,” it said.

JPV