PRESIDENTIAL candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday said vice presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio should reconsider her issued executive order banning motorcades and caravans in the city due to continuing oil price increase and traffic jams these will create.
He said it is Duterte-Carpio and her presidential candidate former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who have been holding motorcades during campaign sorties outside Davao.
He noted he and his running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III have no plan to hold motorcades for their campaign rallies in any part of the country.
“Ang irony, sila ang mahilig sa motorcade. In the spirit of fair play, dapat huwag siyang mag-ban kasi sa ibang lugar nakakapag-motorcade sila. In my opinion, I hope si Mayor Sara i-reconsider niya ang pag-ban sa motorcade (The irony of it is that it is they who are fond of motorcades. In the spirit of fair play she should not ban motorcades [in Davao City] because they can conduct motorcades in other areas. In my opinion, I hope Mayor Sara reconsiders banning motorcades),” Lacson said in a press conference during their visit to Pasig City.
There was no reaction from the Duterte-Carpio camp as of press time. She was supposed to campaign in Abra and Kalinga but was stuck in Davao City because of heavy rains.
Based on Executive Order No. 10 released last Monday, Duterte-Carpio banned all political caravans and motorcades in the city due to the rising prices of oil products, and the inconvenience these will cause to the public due through traffic jams.
The order was issued “to provide guidelines in securing the requisite permit in the conduct of election campaign activities until May 8, 2022, in connection with the national and local elections.”
The city, through EO No. 10, will automatically approve all permits or applications for political activities, but not for caravans and motorcades, after they have paid the fees mandated by city laws and ordinances.
Duterte-Carpio recently concluded the “Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas Caravan” which saw her travelling from Davao City to the northern part of the country via land and sea.
Sotto said he and Lacson can just walk around Davao City should they bring their campaign sortie there.
“Wala pa naman kaming planong mag motorcade lalo na sa Davao. Kung kami ay mangangampanya, eh di maglalakad kami (We have no plans of holding motorcades especially in Davao City. But if we were to hold our campaign rally there, we will walk),” Sotto said.
The UniTeam of Marcos and Duterte-Carpio got the support of Abra Gov. Maria Jocelyn Bernos and Representative Joseph Sto. Niño B. Bernos.
“Abra is BBM-Sara country,” said Rep. Bernos while the governor described Marcos as “a gentleman who has a proven competence and humane leadership.”
Marcos, accompanied by UniTeam senatorial candidates Sherwin Gatchalian, Rodante Marcoleta, Mark Villar, and Harry Roque, attended a grand rally in Bangued, which was preceded by a caravan.
Marcos said Duterte-Carpio was supposed to join them but was unable to make it because her flight was not allowed to leave Davao City due to the heavy rains in the city. He urged the public to continue to support and vote for her along with him and the rest of the UniTeam.
He again talked of the importance of unity and cooperation to move the country forward as well as his plans about job generation, ensuring quality education and continuing the infrastructure program of the Duterte government, among others.
