Easter Sunday was campaign day for bets in northern, central Luzon

BAGUIO CITY—Easter Sunday in many provinces in north and central Luzon was celebrated by Christian devotees, enjoyed by the Easter egg hunters, and was the launching date for many candidates in the May 9 elections.

Loud and catchy jingles blared throughout many Bulacan towns on Sunday as local politicians wooed voters, with the local campaign period now under way.

In Hagonoy, Mayor Raulito Manlapaz of the Liberal Party (LP) led a motorcade composed of his whole slate, most of them seeking reelection. The candidates gave out candies, T-shirts, calendar cards and folding fans.

In the City of Malolos, Mayor Christian Natividad, an LP member, visited houses in different villages, accompanied by Board Member Michael Fermin, who belongs to a different political party.

Natividad has endorsed the candidacy of Fermin, who is running for representative of the first district under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) against LP candidate Jonathan Sy-Alvarado, son of Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado.

Actor Phillip Salvador, who is running for vice governor, alongside NPC gubernatorial candidate, former Postmaster General Josefina de la Cruz, launched his campaign online on Black Saturday.

Salvador’s candidacy had been questioned by a Bulacan judge who directed the Commission on Elections to exclude him from the list of registered voters of in a precinct in Barangay Sta. Rosa 2 in Marilao town.

De la Cruz, who served as Bulacan governor from 1998 to 2007, was defeated by Alvarado in the 2010 elections.

Baguio

In Baguio City, LP candidates led by Baguio Rep. Nicasio Aliping Jr. held a rally at Malcolm Square on Sunday morning. In the afternoon, their rivals, led by congressional candidate Marquez Go and mayoral candidate Jose Molintas, launched their campaign at the Igorot Park right across the square.

On Monday, retired Baguio Judge Edilberto Claravall held his proclamation rally at Malcolm Square.

Pangasinan

In vote-rich Pangasinan, the fight for local positions took a festive start on Monday as candidates held motorcades and proclamation rallies in the different towns of the province.

Although running unopposed, reelectionist Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil held a motorcade in the towns comprising the province’s second district, starting from Lingayen, his hometown.

Bataoil was scheduled to proclaim Liga ng mga Barangay federation president Amado Espino III as his gubernatorial bet and reelectionist Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim at a public beach.

Espino’s opponent, former Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, who is running under the NPC, and his running mate, Calasiao Mayor Mark Roy Macanlalay, were also scheduled to hold a proclamation rally at Lingayen town plaza at 5 p.m. on Monday.

Aside from Bataoil, reelectionist Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas is also running unopposed in the province’s sixth district, which consists of 10 eastern towns.

Based on the list of the Commission on Elections, the reelectionist mayors in the towns of Sual, Sto. Tomas, Sta. Maria, SanManuel, Laoac and Binalonan and the cities of Dagupan and Alaminos are unopposed.

The vice mayoral candidates in the towns of Sual, Sto. Tomas and San Manuel and Dagupan City are also unopposed. In Sto. Tomas, all eight candidates for councilor are unopposed.

A mayoral candidate of Dasol town, Eric Verzosa, launched his campaign on Saturday by challenging his opponent, Nadine Nacar, to a debate, saying political debates make voters informed.

Verzosa is the son of retired Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa while Nacar is the daughter of incumbent Dasol Mayor Noel Nacar. Ron Lopez, Inquirer Central Luzon; Gabriel Cardinoza and Johanne Margarette Macob, Inquirer Northern Luzon