LP ally to Team PNoy: No proxies in Cebu rally

LIBERAL Party allies in Cebu find an ingenious way of campaigning —distributing bean-filled pastry in boxes with their candidates’ faces to victims of a fire in Sambag, a village in Cebu City. LITO TECSON/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY—Local allies of the Liberal Party (LP) in Cebu will not allow proxies for the ruling party’s senatorial candidates in a proclamation rally today.

“We are expecting a complete slate with no substitutes. If they do not come, then their substitutes will not be allowed to speak,” said Cebu City Rep. Tomas Osmeña, head of Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

Osmeña, who is running for mayor, said candidates of BOPK, LP’s ally in Cebu, will introduce Team PNoy candidates during the rally, which President Aquino is expected to attend.

Traffic

The rally is expected to worsen traffic on Osmeña Boulevard and Escario Streets since it will be held at 5 p.m. when offices are starting to close shop for the day.

“I would like to apologize to the public in advance. Traffic will not be very nice for them to move around,” said Osmeña.

Gesture of support

Osmeña said BOPK will hold the proclamation rally at the capitol as a gesture of support for Agnes Magpale, the acting Cebu governor.

BOPK has not held a rally in the capitol for many years after Osmeña stayed away from it during the tenure of his archenemy, suspended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

Garcia has been suspended for six months since December 2012 after she was found guilty of usurpation of authority by the Office of the President.

Team Rama

Osmeña said BOPK doesn’t plan to top the 25,000 people who attended the proclamation rally of the opposition party—Team Rama—at the Plaza Independencia last April 6.

He said while they invited BOPK supporters to the rally, the party would not provide free transportation or food.