VP, UNA thank Cebuanos for warm welcome

Vice President Jejomar C. Binay and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) today thanked the people of Cebu for the ‘surprising and very warm’ welcome for its senatorial candidates Tuesday.

Cebu police estimated the crowd during UNA’s proclamation rally at 90,000. The rally was held at Plaza Independencia and was attended by Gov. Gwen Garcia, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, local officials as well as mayors from Metro Manila.

“We were not wrong in choosing Cebu. Maunlad ang Cebu. Mahuhusay ang mga local government officials, at matinding magpakita ng suporta at pasasalamat ang mga mamamayan,” the Vice President said.
“The great turnout for our proclamation rally was a pleasant surprise for us, considering that Cebu had been a bailiwick of the Liberal Party (LP),” he added.

UNA Secretary General Toby Tiangco said the huge crowd that turned out for the rally and during the morning motorcade “is very, very encouraging for the candidates of UNA.”
“The huge crowd in Cebu is a clear indicator that this former bastion of the Liberal Party is going all out for UNA in the May election,” he said.
Tiangco also hoped that Cebu police officials will not be punished by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for estimating the Cebu crowd at 90,000.
“Sana naman huwag parusahan ang mga police official ng Cebu dahil marunong silang magbilang,” he said.
UNA candidates Nancy Binay, Tingting Cojuangco, Jack Enrile, JV Estrada, Dick Gordon, Gringo Honasan, Ernie Maceda, Mitos Magsaysay and Migs Zubiri were joined by the son of Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Brian, and the father of Loren Legarda, Tony Legarda.

Also present were former President Joseph Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, UNA’s executive committee.
UNA proceeded to Bohol Wednesday for the second leg of their campaign.
Tiangco said the UNA leaders and candidates were able to explain to the people of Cebu the need for an independent and fiscalizing Senate, as well as their plans to improve the lives of the people.
“This will be a high-minded campaign. We will raise the need to address unemployment, hunger and poverty. We will also emphasize the need to keep the Senate independent, to keep it loyal to the people and not to the incumbent administration, otherwise what we will have is a rubber stamp Senate,” he said.

“Unlike the LP who demands party loyalty as a primary qualification and intimidates members who don’t follow the party stand, UNA only requires its candidates to be loyal to the Filipino electorate and be guided by their conscience,” he added. ###