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By James
Konstantin Galvez
The Genuine
Opposition (GO) on Friday bent backward for their reluctant guest
candidate, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, saying they would retain him
despite his snubbing of opposition coalition campaign sorties.
Pangilinan
said on Friday that he would not attend GO’s grand proclamation
rally today at the historic Plaza Miranda in Manila.
“We respect
his decision. He is still our candidate, unless he will say that he
does not need GO’s support and he does not want the GO,” the
coalition spokesman, Adel Tamano, told The Manila Times.
“We will
still campaign for him. He is welcome and we want him to come unless
the executive committee of elders will say otherwise, Tamano said.
But Senator
Lacson warned Pangilinan his decision could backfire with voters.
“Before
it’s too late, I hope he realizes that he is not a loss of the
opposition but the other way around. Sana maisip niya come judgment
day on May 14, napaka importante na huwag magtampo ang tao sa kanya.
I hope he realizes the massive support of the people to the Genuine
Opposition. Dapat niya maisip kung ano ang kawalan sa kanya,”
Lacson said. [I hope he realizes what can happen when voters get
mad. I hope he understands what he can lose.].
Replacement
talk
Rep. Alan
Peter Cayetano was more conciliatory.
“Of course
he is always welcome and we want him to be there. This is a very
understanding team. What is important is that we share the same
visions and principles,” Cayetano said.
The House
minority leader, Francis Escudero, said Pangilinan’s decision
makes him sad, “but we are bending backward for him.”
Tamano said
the GO executive committee did not even discuss Pangilinan’s
announcement.
“We just
discussed the sequence of the proclamation tomorrow and the program
of governance of the opposition,” Tamano said.
But a source
that requested anonymity, said that the GO executive committee of
elders are considering at least three names as replacement of
Pangilinan.
The three
include detained former senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan,
former Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Zosimo Paredes and movie actor
Richard Gomez.
Tamano denied
talks of a replacement for Pangilinan.
Security
Meanwhile,
Mayor Lito Atienza of Manila urged residents to stay away from the
city’s downtown area unless they are joining the rally.
The Manila
City Government issued a permit for the GO gathering from 8 a.m. to
12 midnight.
Normal permits
are only up to 6 p.m. but the city government made an exception for
the opposition coalition.
“We will
provide security, the usual security for big events in the area and
we will provide them with support,” Atienza said. “Hopefully the
organizers will make sure that the gathering is organized and
peaceful.”
Manila Police
officer in charge, Chief Senior Supt. Danilo Abarzosa, said there
would be uniformed and plainclothes cops in the area, as well as K-9
bomb-sniffing dogs.
“We do not
anticipate any trouble,” he said.
Rerouting
Recto to
Quiapo will be partially closed. Depending on the number of people
who do end up going to the Plaza Miranda, the traffic department
could close the stretch of España from P. Campa to Quezon Boulevard
and the streets of Tugso, Andalusia, Palanca.
Vehicles on
Estero Cegado will be rerouted to Plaza Santa Cruz. Vehicles coming
from Adalusia and Blumentritt will be rerouted to recto.
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