‘Show of force’ in BO-PK, Team Rama rallies
AS the campaign draws to a close, rival parties in Cebu City mobilized followers and star power in a “show of force” two days before Election Day.
Actresses Marian Rivera, Michelle Madrigal and Arci Muñoz triggered screams from the crowd at a Team Rama rally in barangay Talamban Thursday night.
The Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) of Rep. Tomas Osmeña held thir rally at the Tejero sports complex before staging a bigger rally in barangay Mabolo.
Osmeña claimed that the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) would be supporting 90 percent of the BO-PK slate.
Team Rama secured support from youth and interfaith groups in Cebu in a gathering held in a downtown hotel.
Jonah John Rodriguez, head of the Kusug youth group, said their group is committed to campaign against Osmeña.
Osmeña previously filed a complaint against Rodriguez for harassing his wife, Councilor Margot Osmeña.
Team Rama north district congressional candidate Annabelle Rama questioned the seeming absence of her opponent, former congressman Raul del Mar, in BO-PK’s campaign sorties. (Del Mar was on stage in the Tejero rally.)
Based on Rama’s estimate, about 30, 000 people attended their rally in barangay Talaban.
Voters from nearby mountain barangay also showed up.
At least 5,000 to 10,000 people also joined the simultaneous rallies which were held in barangay Lahug and Carreta.
“If you add up all the crowd, we are still in the lead,” he said.
Rama said he was only waiting to see the crowd of supporters who will gather for their rally in San Nicolas, Inayawan and Mambaling scheduled last night for him to already confirm their edge against their opponents.
In the Tejero rally, barangay captain and BO-PK ally Jessielou Cadungog asked the people not to sell their votes to Team Rama.
Cadungog said he has been distributing posters bearing the message “My home is not for sale.”
Del Mar also showed Tejero residents that he was physically fit to be their congressman.
Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young also asked Tejero voters to give him an 8-0 vote.
Osmeña’s elder sister Minnie told the crowd that she was happy to accompany him on the last leg of his campaign.
She said it’s similar to what she used to do during the campaigns of their father, the late senator Serging Osmeña.
“I’m sure my father would be very proud to see us all together,” she told the Tejero crowd.
