Doleouts in LP proclamation rally?

Batas Mauricio

THE Malacanang Press Corps is a group of reporters from different media entities covering President Aquino and the various offices under the Office of the President.

Yet, some of its members have interesting stories to share about how they were literally herded by Palace staff members, free plane tickets and all, just so they will be able to attend, and therefore write about, the proclamation rally of Liberal Party presidential and vice presidential candidates Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo in Capiz and Iloilo on Tuesday, February 09, 2016, at the start of the campaign for the May elections.

My radio partner Vic Somintac, told me that the expenses of the Malacanang reporters who went to the rally of Roxas and Robredo came from the Office of the President itself. Is this not spending government funds for a candidate in an election?

But that was just one of the stories that Vic Somintac shared on Tuesday. He then took his IPad mini and, punching several keys, he came up with pictures of the Capiz rally showing people–some were mediamen–dozing off, apparently out of boredom, Somintac quipped.

The pictures also showed empty chairs–which meant, not very many people attended the Capiz rally. This must have been devastating for Roxas, Robredo, and the entire LP team, because Capiz is the home province of Roxas, where he is supposed to be thoroughly loved by his province mates. I mean, if this was the kind of audience that Roxas got in his own turf, what number of people is he and his party expecting in their sorties in other places?

Perhaps that is the reason why, in the LP proclamation rally in Iloilo later in the night of Tuesday, it appeared, as shown by a picture posted on Facebook by supporters apparently belonging to presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte, there were sacks of rice and groceries already on display near the stage. Was this photo merely Photoshopped or edited?

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I hate to say this but, if a candidate for a top position will not watch out, the history of then presidential aspirant Sen. Raul Roco maybe repeated in this 2016 elections. I mean, when Roco made a second run for the presidency in 2004, his prostate cancer apparently acted up and got worse. I know, because I was one of Roco’s senatorial candidate then.

Roco ultimately finished the campaign, but lost to Gloria Arroyo. Several months after, he died. We do not want this to happen again to the candidate for a top position in this year’s election, but indications are that, the candidate’s illness is already showing its toll even during their proclamation rally.

One report said the body of the candidate was visibly shaking, forcing that candidate to say, in the middle of a speech, that the party’s vice presidential candidate may take over in the event of an untoward incident. I plead with that candidate to give up the dream to even run again, and instead focus now on a more meaningful relationship with God, who has the power to heal and make all illnesses go away!