CLAD in yellow shirts and sporting “Laban” signs, scores of Cebu City and Mandaue City yesterday turned up for Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who visited volunteer groups and met with urban poor associations.
About 500 people showed up at the Sacred Heart Center in Cebu City, singing “Bayan Ko,” which Aquino plans to use as his presidential campaign's theme song.
Florencio “Butch” Abad, Liberal Party campaign manager, said while they are banking on civil society to run a “people’s” campaign for Aquino and other LP candidates here, they will also forge alliances with local political families in Cebu.
“This is a peoples campaign and therefore we should give priority in organizing with this huge response from the citizenry,” he said.
Aquino said he hopes Cebuanos will be in the forefront in the fight for change similar to the pre-Edsa 1 years.
“Here in Cebu a lot of people aspire for change, to a return for good governance. Most likely Cebu will lead this fight for change, the fight for what is right,” he said in Filipino.
He credited Cebu for propping up the country's economy during his mother's administration and providing her refuge during her flight from the late president Ferdinand Marcos.
Among those who pledged support were businessman Augusto Go, chairman emeritus of the Noynoy-Mar Volunteers–Cebu City.
Aquino administered the oath of volunteer groups consisting of urban poor settlers from the cities of Talisay and Mandaue clothed in yellow T-shirts.
He also took five questions from the crowd.
A question on if he intends to get married brought laughter to the crowd.
Aquino, 49, replied: “yes”, but added that it may not be the right time yet to do so.
He later visited Mandaue City Hall where he was greeted by City Hall officials and employees and headed to AC Cortes Avenue to meet with urban poor groups.
Abad said they remain upbeat over Aquino's standing in Cebu based on surveys they conducted.
He said forging alliances with local officials would be seriously considered in their next visits in the province.
“We are just simply trying to understand what is the political situation here. Who are the forces, who are running in 2010 and which group would be in the best position to advance the principles of the campaign,” Abad said.
Aquino said they were also in talks for a Cebuano candidate in their Senate lineup.
Abad said he was confident that the LP could still revive its friendship with the local political families like the Osmeñas and Cuencos in Cebu City and the Martinezes in Bogo City.
Abad said LP officials are in discussion with former senator John “Sonny” Osmeña, one of the movers for the revival of the Panaghiusa party, to campaign for Aquino's candidacy.
For Cebu officials, sentiments were mixed.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said that while he is still part of the administration Lakas party, his advisers were seen wearing yellow ribbons—a sign used by Aquino's supporters.
In Cebu City, Barangay Guadalupe chairman Eugenio Faelnar said they will wait for the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan leadership to decide on whom to support for next year's elections.
Faelnar, Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) president, said the barangay officials had not yet to decide whom to support.
Sangguniang Kabataan president Catherine Joy Cabildo of barangay Guadalupe said they will also wait for the decision of their elders before making a choice.
However, Cabildo said among the youth voters, Sen. Francis Escudero is the most popular followed by Aquino.
She said Escudero was visible and a known proponent of education while Aquino was recognized following the death of his mother former president Corazon Aquino. With a report from Correspondent Carine M. Asutilla
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