SEVEN days before the election, vote-buying is a major concern in Lapu-Lapu City.
Lapu-Lapu Mayor Paz Radaza urged the public not to be deceived by gifts given by the candidates, just like what happened to a voter who received an accident insurance card from a mayoralty candidate, but failed to avail herself of benefits when she tried to use it after a road accident.
Radaza was referring to Rolando Patalinjug, mayoralty candidate of Team Kusgano, who distributed accident insurance cards with images of him, his runningmate Rufo Amores and congressional candidate Celedonio “Celsi” Sitoy.
Radaza of the Liberal Party is seeking reelection.
Patalinjug allegedly distributed accident insurance cards during his campaign sorties in Lapu-Lapu City.
Radaza got a copy of the insurance card from one of her supporters who received this.
In a press conference, Radaza said a woman from Sitio Masiwa in Barangay Marigondon, whose husband is a campaign leader of Patalinjug, tried to avail herself of the accident insurance after she was brought to a private hospital due to a fracture on her shoulder.
She was on her way to southern Cebu when she met an accident.
However, she was not able to use the insurance.
Radaza intends to file a case of vote-buying against Patalinjug this week.
Application form
In a separate interview, Patalinjug said the accident insurance cards were only given to their campaign leaders.
However, he said, the cards given were just application forms and they still need approval from the insurance company.
“Naa man siyay katungod mosulti unsay iyang gusto pero kanang insurance card before ka ka-avail ana, pa-aprobahan gyud na siya? Kanang insurance card nga among gihatag para na sa among mga tawo (Radaza has the right to say what she wanted to say, but that insurance card before you can avail yourself of it, you should have approval from the insurance company. The insurance cards were given to our leaders),” Patalinjug said.
When reporters told Patalinjug the name of the supporter that was brought to a hospital, he said she is probably one of her supporters, but he could recognize her by name.
Meanwhile, former Lapu-Lapu mayor Arturo Radaza says the city should stay as a lone district.
Radaza, in a grand rally of the administration group Deretso held at the City Hall grounds last April 30, said he plans to merge the town of Cordova with Lapu-Lapu City if the Oponganons let him win.
“Ang mahitabo ana, ang budget nga sa atoa ra unta mapudpod, mabutang tanan sa Cordova,” Radaza said.
Led by Mayor Paz Radaza who is running for her last term as city mayor, Deretso was able to gather all 30 barangay captains of the city, pledging support to the party’s candidates.
Around 1,500 supporters In a sea of yellow shirts filled the City Hall grounds as Deretso, under the national banner of Liberal Party (LP), asked its supporters to vote straight this coming May 9.
Programs
Congresswoman Aileen Radaza, who is running for a second term, presented her platform of government and her current program, dubbed “JES,” which prioritizes jobs, education, and the welfare of the senior citizens.
Mayor Paz Radaza also presented the city’s awards and accomplishments during her two terms, including the increase of the city budget from P800 million in 2000 to the current P1.5 billion.
The city was also the recipient of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)’s Good Financial Housekeeping Award and the Office of the Ombudsman’s Blue Certification Level 1 Award for the city’s fast business processing and the eradication of the bureaucratic red tape.
Team Kusgano, led by mayoralty candidate Rolando Patalinjug, had their motorcade last May 1 with around 3,000 supporters.
Radaza commented that Kusgano did not have any permit to hold the motorcade.
“Ato na lang gipasagdan para wala nay gubot…naka-cause pud og traffic ang ilang motorcade pero na-manage ra sa atong CTMS,” Radaza said.
Patalinjug’s party, under PDP-Laban, will hold their grand rally on May 6, while Team Pelaez scheduled their motorcade on the same day. Dennis Carlo M. Premacio, USJ-R Comm Intern