It’s all systems go.
Supporters in Negros Occidental will converge at various gatherings on May 3, Tuesday, to give Vice President Leni Robredo and her team both a rousing welcome reception and a Negrense-style send-off on the eve of the 2022 elections, a press release from former governor Rafael Coscolluela said Monday, May 2.
Robredo will be welcomed by thousands of leaders and supporters from the 4th and 5th districts of Negros Occidental as well as other followers at the Bantayan Park in Bago City, the press release said.
The gates open at 3 p.m., organizers said.
Robredo promised to visit Bago City on her next sortie, following the inadvertent rerouting of her party on their way back to Bacolod from a mini-rally in La Carlota on April 11.
This prompted the presidential candidate to apologize on stage during her grand rally at Paglaum Sports Complex and make a promise to return.
The Bago visit will be followed by a fellowship with more than 500 supporters from all over the province, comprised of local leaders, volunteers, basic sector representatives and other interest groups who will jointly proclaim Team Leni-Kiko as their candidates of choice on May 9, the press release said.
Robredo and her slate will then proceed to another gathering where more than 300 representatives of Grupo Progreso, the local party of incumbent Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia, will declare their support for Team Leni-Kiko, the press release said.
Leonardia, who will not be at the affair, said on Friday “Let me clarify once and for all – this representation remains neutral. I have not endorsed any presidential candidate. I have declared this position many times before in various media interviews and public fora.”
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran on Monday clarified that while he supports Robredo for president, his vice presidential candidate is Sara Duterte.
“I cannot endorse Kiko because I already committed to support Sara,” Familiaran said.
The Filipino-Chinese business community will join the multi-sectoral gathering with VP Robredo, the press release said.
Coscolluela, campaign manager of RPC Negros Occidental, said “the support of scores of volunteers, basic sector groups and key community leaders – and others who choose to remain silent for now – is a sure sign that VP Leni is slowly but surely on the road to victory”.
Negrenses will give the vice president’s party a grand send-off the following morning, with another stationary caravan leading to the Silay City Airport. Organizers will announce further details regarding the caravan, Coscolluela said.
RPC BACOLOD
Meanwhile, the Bacolod Robredo People’s Council is not endorsing any local candidates, a separate press statement said Monday .
“We are not working together with Grupo Progreso candidates but have volunteers from GP and Asenso Bacolod,” Jessie Suarez, Bacolod RPC lead convenor, said.
“If certain GP candidates are openly endorsing the Leni-Kiko slate, we welcome this endorsement but wish to make it clear that it is the candidates who are endorsing Leni-Kiko, not the RPC or the Leni-Kiko team endorsing the candidates,” he said.
The GP candidates will also be announcing their endorsement at a separate event, they will not be part of the People’s Proclamation by the Bacolod RPC during Robredo’s visit to Negros Occidental on Tuesday, Suarez added.*