ENDORSEMENTS and non-endorsements concluded the campaign period for local candidates in the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu yesterday.
Councilor and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation president John Philip Po said their group won’t support any local candidate in order to remain non-partisan.
He said while he will vote for the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) slate, others like Basak Pardo SK chairman Devyn Cabataña is supporting Team Rama.
“Our members are getting confused about who to support. I’m not campaigning for (BO-PK) to keep the federation apolitical. I want the SK to be a role model for the others to follow,” he said.
Former senator Ernesto Herrera, head of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-International Trade Union Confederation (TUCP-ITUC), clarified reports on the endorsement of local labor groups for BO-PK candidates.
Herrera said the endorsement was limited to labor groups under the Associated Labor Union–Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) of lawyer Democrito Mendoza.
Labor groups under the ITUC, he said, were asked to vote for re-electionist Mayor Michael Rama for mayor and his running mate third term Councilor Edgar Labella.
Rival groups of Herrera and Mendoza each claim to be the authentic TUCP group, a dispute pending before the Department of Labor and Employment.
A homeowners association covered by the Provincial Ordinance 93-1 announced its support to the BO-PK slate.
Spokesman Michael Guerra said BO-PK founder and Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district assured to support them in lowering the cost of the land.
The Cebu City Federation for Teachers and Parents Association (CCFTPA), which is supporting the BO-PK slate, reminded other teachers to be transparent and fair in performing their election duties tomorrow.
Both BO-PK and Team Rama were distributing yellow and green cards respectively to voters since last month to help guide them on where to go and who to vote for.
The cards contain the voters name and his precinct number and a list of BO-PK/Team Rama candidates and endorsed senatorial candidates.
In Lapu-Lapu City, a caravan was held by the slate headed by Mayor Paz Radaza yesterday.
The caravan ended at the City Hall grounds where each candidate of Radaza’s Team Derecho addressed the crowd of supporters.
Her opponent, businessman and Liberal Party (LP) bet Efraim Pelaez held a rally at the Marina Mall. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac with Correspondents Norman V. Mendoza, Michelle Joy L. Padayhag, UP Intern Apple Ta-as and CNU Intern Allet Mary Teves