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Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Bets declare truce
By Avelyn Z. Agudon and Erwin S. Delilan
GOVERNOR Joseph Marañon declared political "ceasefire" Tuesday in observance of the Holy Week as the Commission on Elections also warned local candidates not to campaign on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
But even if he declared the ceasefire, Marañon defended action king Fernando Poe Jr., for Poe's refusal to a proposed debate with President Arroyo on issues hounding the sugar industry.
This came after the President's campaign manager and former governor Rafael "Lito" Coscolluela said that the action king does not know the problem of the sugar industry.
Marañon said even Poe admitted that he is not knowledgeable on the problem of the sugar industry, except for the rampant smuggling that caused the price to shrink early this year.
He added their presidential bet of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino assured them that if he could make it, he (FPJ) will consult sugar leaders on the best way to address the looming sugar crisis.
"He is not like Arroyo who is just addressing the problem because of the election," the governor said.
Good gesture
Coscolluela welcomed Marañon's ceasefire order as a good gesture in instituting peace amid intensified campaign sorties of the local candidates in the province.
"If we campaign for our candidates, we campaign on a high level... in a professional manner," said Coscolluela, who filed leave of absence as Presidential Adviser on Cooperatives to campaign for Arroyo.
His deputy campaign manager is lawyer Reynaldo "Lolan" Novero, who was also designated as the new Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats provincial chairman in the province.
Novero replaced Vice Gov. Isidro Zayco, who also joined Marañon and 72 other Nationalist People's Coalition candidates who bolted from the Sunshine Coalition with the administration party the other week.
"I think we don't need to be on ceasefire because we've been good and loving to everybody. We do respect and love all of them, including our political nemeses," said Novero.
Comelec warning
Lawyer Marsha Cordero, provincial election officer, said candidates running for different positions in the forthcoming synchronized national and local elections in May 10 are prohibited to campaign on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
Cordero said those who will violate the rules and regulations would be facing six months to one year imprisonment.
She asked the help of the public to monitor candidates who would violate the law so that an investigation could be conducted.
Cordero also warned supporters of candidates to remove illegal posters so as not to waste their resources.
The Comelec Tuesday also conducted dry run on the transmission of election results from the different cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, to their provincial and their national office.
Cordero said based on the result of their dry run, Bacolod City has a problem because of the scrambled data in the transmission. She added there is a need to revise the software used by Comelec Bacolod.
(April 7, 2004 issue)
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