The Partido Barug slate heard Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral before marching to Barangay Ermita to kick off the first day of the local campaign period. | CDND Photo/ DELTA LETIGIO
CEBU CITY — They say the early bird catches the worm.
For local candidates in Cebu City, the first day of the campaign period, March 29, 2019, was marked with an early start by hearing Mass at 4:30 a.m. before proceeding to Barangay Ermita for the opening salvo program.
Partido Barug supporters started gathering as early as 4 a.m. outside the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral to show their solidarity with the candidates led by its standard bearer, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, who is challenging the reelection bid of Tomas Osmeña as Mayor of Cebu City.
Labella’s running mate, former Mayor Michael Rama, is running as Vice Mayor.
Partido Barug previously announced that they will have a kick-off campaign with a “call to God.”
Labella and Rama were also joined by their councilors from the north and south districts.
North District candidates for City Councilors are: Prisca Niña Mabatid, Pastor Alcover Jr., Raymond Alvin Garcia, Ernesto Herrera II, Rey Lauron, Noel Wenceslao, Ramil Ayuman, and Joel Garganera.
Candidates vying for seats as South District Councilors are Miguel Erik Espina, Renato “Junjun” Osmeña Jr. and Eduardo “Edu” Rama Jr., Donaldo Hontiveros, Phillip Zafra, Francis Esparis, Antonio “Tony” Cuenco and Gerald Carillo.
Former Cebu City Councilor Jocelyn “Joy” Pesquera and actor/businessman Richard Yap were also present during the campaign sortie.
Pesquera is the party’s congressional candidate for the South District, while Yap is making his first congressional bid in Cebu City’s North District.
The complete slate heard Mass at 4:30 a.m.
Partido Barug supporters join the campaign sortie in Barangay Ermita wearing T-shirts bearing the names and slogans of the local candidates. They also brought placards and tarpaulins with names and faces of the candidates to express their support for the Partido Barug slate. | Benjie Talisic
They then proceeded to Barangay Ermita, where Labella made a rousing speech that paid tribute to the late Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta.
Rupinta was the barangay captain of Ermita, who was killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Liloan town on November 2017.
“Atong ipahibaw sa katawhan nga ang kausaban nga gisugdan ni Presidente Rodrigo Roa Duterte, atong ipatighulog, atong ibuhos sa Dakbayan sa Sugbo,” Labella said.
(We are here to tell the people that the change started by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will be cascaded, will be poured in Cebu City.) / celr