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Thursday, February 26, 2004
Brother Eddie slates March 10 rally in Cebu
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
SPIRITUAL leader Eddie Villanueva hopes to draw a great number of Cebuano supporters during his rally in Cebu City on March 10, when the television evangelist makes a pitch for his presidential bid.
SPIRITUAL leader Eddie Villanueva hopes to draw a great number of Cebuano supporters during his rally in Cebu City on March 10, when the television evangelist makes a pitch for his presidential bid.
Singer Gary Valenciano and actresses Donita Rose and Connie Reyes, who appeared in Villanueva’s political rallies in Manila that gathered millions, are expected to attend.
Supporters in Cebu have yet to finalize the venue since they need an area that can accommodate their estimated crowd of 15,000.
In yesterday’s oath-taking of local Bangon Pilipinas coordinators in Plaza Independecia, organizers were surprised by the turnout, since they expected only about 500. Villanueva’s supporters are called Josiah’s Army, in reference to an Old Testament king.
SPO4 Benjamin Magdamit of Waterfront Police Station estimated the crowd to have reached almost 2,000. Some of them came from the towns and even Negros Occidental.
Villanueva, in an interview with reporters, said that since the attendance of supporters during their activities are better than his standing in opinion surveys, he is inclined to believe the results could be “influenced” by some parties.
“For our rally in Luneta, 2.8 million attended. Walang hakot doon at walang binayaran (We did not pay them, or ferry them to the venue),” said Villanueva, who ranked fifth in the latest Pulse Asia survey.
That survey listed 1.2 percent of the respondents as saying they will vote for the television evangelist.
Seven each
Villanueva, 57, founder of the Jesus is Lord Movement, urged his supporters and volunteers in Josiah’s Army to each convince seven other persons to attend the rallies.
If the 2.8 million in Luneta could do that, they hope to get at least 14 million in the May 10 elections.
Allan Abong, one of Villanueva’s local leaders, said majority of the evangelical churches in Cebu have committed to support “Brother Eddie.”
Pastor Glenn Maypa, for his part, said there are even some “silent supporters” among Catholics.
Two teachers, who are Catholics, came to Cebu from Sagay City in Negros Occidental to attend yesterday’s activity. “Gusto ko niya kay maka-Diyos (I like him because he is God-fearing),” one of them said.
The other said that religious beliefs do not matter. What is important for her is that the candidate is qualified.
The two were among the crowd in Plaza Independencia that cheered during Brother Eddie’s 30-minute speech in which he promised, among others, to promote transparency in government transactions, self-employment and to raise the salaries of government workers.
Villanueva, who was trained in economics and used to be a college professor, also impressed Christian business leaders during a luncheon at the Cebu Barbecue Palace Restaurant.
His pledges
He promised to address the plight of overseas Filipino workers and to prioritize the modernization of agriculture so local products can compete in the world market.
He also explained his decision to run and, at one point, turned emotional as he spoke to the group, mostly of born-again Christians and pastors.
“The presidency, to me, is nothing. This world is too poor to buy my convictions and principles,” Villanueva said.
He also promised to appoint “the right people” to the 6,000 positions coterminous with the President and said he would expose, in a monthly address to the nation, elected officials who refuse to support policies that are good for the majority.
Villanueva was supposed to attend a 1 p.m. forum organized by the student organization of Southwestern University.
However, the failure of the organizers to get the approval of the school head on the use of the Aznar Coliseum led to the cancellation of the activity.
Apart from Villanueva, presidential aspirant Raul Roco was invited and sent lawyer Darwin Mariano as his representative.
(February 26, 2004 issue)
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