NEWS BRIEFS

6 RALLIES FOR BOPK-LP

Rep. Tomas Osmeña said the Bando Osmena Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) and the Cebu City chapter of the Liberal Party will have six campaign rallies leading to the May 13, 2013 polls.

Osmeña said staging six rallies – three each in the north and south districts – will be more beneficial to Liberal Party (LP) senatorial candidates who are coming for the event.

“Manila wants exposure for the senatorial candidates. We will propose a variation of having six rallies – three in the north, three in the south,” he said.

Osmeña said the objective of holding one big rally is more of a photo opportunity.

“I’m thinking about the people. That is why I want it walking distance. They don’t have to walk so far and you will get a crowd,” he said.

LP Cebu chairman Hilario Davide III said in an interview last Wednesday morning the party plans to have the proclamation rally of their local candidates on April 1.

March 29, the official start of the campaign period for local candidates, falls on Good Friday.

Under election laws, no campaigning is allowed during the Holy Week in deference to the religious observance./Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac

BI TO OPEN OFFICE IN MACTAN MALL

To provide ease in collecting fees from tourists, the Bureau of Immigration will open a satellite office in a Lapu-Lapu City mall.

The bureau is renting space in the lobby of Gaisano Mactan to decongest their office in P. Burgos Street in barangay Centro, Mandaue City.

Casimiro Madarang III, Alien Control Officer, said they collected P410 million in fees last year.

He said this is P37 million higher than their 2011 collection.

The increased revenue was credited to the rise in tourist arrivals.

The satellite office will cater to tourists who apply for extension of their visas./Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos