‘No plastics’ campaign starts in Bulacan

CAMPAIGN materials from local candidates in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, were covered with rice sacks during Good Friday.

CITY OF MALOLOS,  Bulacan—A “no plastics” campaign took effect in the City of Malolos on Black Saturday when candidates posted campaign materials made of eco-fiber to heed a green election crusade mounted by its reelectionist mayor.

A local printing shop that advocates environmentalism had produced 2,000 eco-fiber streamers for the candidates.

In the City of  San Fernando,  candidates for local positions kicked off activities to court votes for the midterm elections as Christians all over the country celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter Sunday was noisy in Pampanga as local candidates launched their campaigns through motorcades, proclamation rallies, showboats or roving sound systems.

The motorcade of City of San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, who is running for representative, was the longest, with some 2,000 vehicles roaming the city’s 35 barangays (villages) and main roads.

Former Bacolor Mayor Romeo “Buddy” Dungca started his campaign at the Bulaon resettlement in the City of San Fernando, where survivors of Mt. Pinatubo’s 1991 eruptions transferred, because many Bacolor residents live there.

More than 60,000 Bacolor families reside in six resettlements in Pampanga, making campaigning a rigorous activity for candidates.

Reelectionist Gov. Lilia Pineda and her running mate and son, Dennis, hired jeepneys mounted with mobile sound systems to go around the province.

Former Gov. Eddie Panlilio, who is challenging Pineda, led the campaign of Liberal Party candidates in the fourth congressional district.

The children or supporters of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is running for reelection as representative of Pampanga’s second district, did not launch any campaign activity on Sunday.

Arroyo, who is running with Lakas, is suffering from a bone ailment and awaiting trial for alleged electoral fraud. She is detained at Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.

Her rival, lawyer Vivian Dabu, kicked off a district-wide motorcade led by farmers and Aetas on Sunday.

In Nueva Ecija, police brought in two new “watchdogs” to help in its campaign for safe and free elections.

Barnie, a Belgian Malinois, and Frankie, a yellow Labrador, both  5 years old, were commissioned by Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves, Nueva Ecija police director, to reinforce the police’s anti-illegal firearms campaign in preparation for the elections and related peace efforts.

“They were trained in Fort Bonifacio to detect bombs, detonating cords, bullets and various forms of explosives,” Nieves said.

He said the dogs had served in some areas of Mindanao before their tour of duty in Nueva Ecija, which is among the 15 provinces classified as election areas of concern. Tonette Orejas, Carmela Reyes-Estrope and Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon