White van from January 22 ambush is Reluya slate’s symbol of courage and hope

The bullet-ridden Toyota Grandia from the January 22 ambush against the group of San Fernando Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya was among the vehicles that participated in the caravan of the Reluya slate on Sunday, May 5. / Photo grabbed from caravan video posted on Facebook)

SAN FERNANDO, Cebu, Philippines — A bullet-ridden white Toyota Grandia was among the vehicles that joined in the campaign caravan of incumbent San Fernando Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya’s slate on Sunday, May 5, 2019.

It was an emotional move for Reluya, who is seeking reelection for the May 13, 2019 elections, as the white van is the same vehicle that figured in the January 22 ambush in Barangay Linao, Talisay City.

READ: San Fernando mayor survives ambush

In the van were Mayor Reluya, her husband Ricardo Reluya Jr., and four staff members.

The attack killed two of his staff and Ricardo, who was the president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), at the time of his death.

READ: Police have identified prime suspect in Mayor Reluya’s ambush

READ: Mayor Reluya dangles P2.2 million cash reward, appeals to eyewitnesses to help in investigation

For Ricci Regen Reluya, eldest son of Mayor Reluya and the slain official, the van’s presence during the caravan is a testament that they are not backing down despite the incident and the “threats that they continuously receive.”

“There have been a lot of articles which show the car ridden with bullets… the fear and the hopelessness that comes with it, we want to take that back,” Ricci told CDN Digital at the sidelines of the campaign sortie.

We want to showcase that the Grandia that was ridden with bullets, even though it is filled with bullet holes…  it is still running and functioning,” he added.

Ricci said the van symbolizes their current state.

“It is basically what our campaign (stands for) right now. We are beaten, we’re bruised but for the sake of something bigger than us, we’re gonna keep running and we are gonna keep on moving forward even if multiple lives have been lost,” he said.

Instead of sowing fear in their hearts, the incident has fueled them to be braver in “making San Fernando shine even brighter.”

Ricci, 26, has replaced his deceased father in the vice mayoral rice for the May 2019 polls.

This means that he will be running side by side with his mother, the incumbent mayor.

The campaign caravan was capped with a sortie at the town’s sports complex on Sunday afternoon, May 5.

It was attended by candidates from the Alayon Party, Cebu’s first district ruling party to which Reluya is affiliated with.

Representative Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu’s third district, who is now running for governor, and running mate Daphne Salimbangon also attended the event.

Alayon Party and the Garcia-led One Cebu party are local allies of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), which is President Rodrigo Duterte’s national party.

Actor Jolo Revilla represented and campaigned for his father, senatorial candidate Bong Revilla, during the sortie.

Actress and comedienne Giselle Sanchez also entertained the audience as she endorsed Maguindanao Representative Zajid Mangudadatu, who is running for a Senate seat under PDP-Laban. / celr