Cavite solon: Campaign rally participants paid P500 each

Thousands of supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo packed the General Trias Sports Park in Cavite on Friday, March 4, 2022. (VP Leni Media Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Cavite 7th District Rep. Jesus Crispin “Boying”  Remulla has claimed that those who attended a campaign rally in General Trias on Friday were paid P500 each.

“Sa siyudad ng Cavite, may politiko na nagbabayad ng limang daan sa bawat aattend,” Remulla said in a DZRH radio program aired on Saturday.

(In Cavite, there is a politician who paid each participant P500.)

Remulla did not mention the name of the candidate he was referring to, but on Friday, a grand rally for Vice President Leni Robredo and her team was held at the General Trias Sports Park.

An estimated 47,000 supporters welcomed Robredo at the grand rally.

“Tapos may jeep, tapos meron silang staging area, may t-shirt, may uniporme, kumpleto. Kaya alam mo na hindi indigenous kasi naka-uniporme. Hinahakot eh. Ang uniporme nila, syempre pink. Halatang halata. May mga jeep, may takip ‘yung karatula kasi hindi naman talaga taga-roon,” he added.

(They have jeeps, a staging area, t-shirts, and uniforms. You know they are not indigenous because they are wearing uniforms. The people were paid to come. Their uniform is, of course, pink. It is very obvious. The signboards in jeepneys were covered because they are not from the area.)

INQUIRER.net has sought the comment of Robredo’s camp through her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

Remulla also claimed that organizers of the event may have spent up to P8 million.

“Kagabi ginastusan nila ‘yun, siguro mahina-hina ‘yung mga anim hanggang walong milyon. Kasi nga desperado na. Kasi ang survey sa Cavite, 64-15,” Remulla said.

(They spent money for that event yesterday, maybe P6 million to P8 million. It’s because they are desperate. The survey in Cavite says the battle is 64-15.)

Remulla claimed that 64 percent of Cavite voters prefer presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Asked who is the other candidate supported by 15 percent of voters in the province, Remulla replied: “Si pink, si dilaw (The pink one, the yellow one).”

Pink is the color associated with the presidential campaign of Robredo.

Remulla claimed he knows the organizers of the event and who mobilized the attendees to the campaign rally.

The students who attended the campaign rally also looked like activists, said the congressman.

“Ang dami nilang mga estudyante, mukhang mga aktibista… Kaliwa, mga trained ng NDF (National Democratic Front)… May dalang mga bandera pero pink,” he said.

(A lot of students were there and they looked like activists. They look like from the left, trained by the NDF… They carried pink banners.)

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