Suspended Mayor Mike Rama (left) introduces Vice President Jejomar Binay on stage during the openingof the Sinulog Grand parade. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
INSTEAD of a rousing welcome, Vice President Jejomar Binay was booed during the formal opening of the Sinulog Grand Parade inside the Cebu City Sports Center yesterday.
Binay, who was supposed to deliver a speech after he was introduced by suspended Mayor Michael Rama, managed only a “Maayong buntag sa inyong tanan (Good morning everyone). Viva Pit Senyor!”
The grandstand, which can seat 15,000 people, was half-filled at the time. Several others were scattered throughout the sports center.
Binay’s camp later accused a contingent from the Liberal Party as the source of the boos.
It was not the first time that Binay had a not-so-pleasant experience in Cebu, which has a voting population of more than 2 million.
During the Visayas launch of United Nationalist Alliance in Cebu last October, some members of the crowd were seen leaving the Cebu Coliseum while Binay, the party’s standard bearer, was giving his speech. He later explained that the heat inside the coliseum made some people to leave.
Binay attended the Sinulog Grand Parade on the invitation of Rama, Sinulog Foundation, Inc. chair and UNA mayoral candidate in Cebu City.
The Sinulog Grand Parade was the culmination of the 10-day festivities leading to the Feast of the Holy Child Jesus on Sunday.
At least 32 dancing contingents, 49 floats, 31 higantes and 17 puppeteers joined the parade that started and ended at the grandstand of the CCSC.
Binay arrived at the sports center at past 9 a.m., accompanied by running mate, Sen. Gringo Honasan, suspended Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay and UNA senatorial candidates Jacel Kiram, Alma Moreno and Harry Roque.
They stood at the corner of the grandstand, but Rama asked Binay to join him on the stage. Boos could already be heard at a section of the bleachers in the grandstand. These grew louder as Binay started to greet the crowd.
The Vice President and his group then went down to the media center to have breakfast comprising of tinuwang isda (fish-based soup with tomatoes and ginger), bodbod (sweet sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves), rosquillos (scallop-shaped cookies famous in Liloan town, northern Cebu) and ripe banana.
After breakfast, he went up to the VIP section of the grandstand to continue watching the presentations on stage. They left the sports center about 11 a.m.
Before they left, the Inquirer caught up with Binay and asked his comment about the boos. The Vice President replied: “Hindi ko narinig yun (I didn’t hear that).”
But in a statement, his spokesman Joey Salgado said they heard reports that the boos came from the LP contingent.
Ethel Natera, information officer of the Cebu provincial government, said Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, LP standard bearer in the province, and some LP senatorial candidates were still outside the sports center when Binay was booed.
Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, Davide’s running mate, was also on the stage with Binay at that time, she added.
Davide arrived with the Cebu province contingent long after Binay left the stage, said Natera.
With Davide were LP senatorial candidates Joel Villanueva, Leila de Lima, and Risa Hontiveros.
Salgado clarified that Binay has watched the Sinulog Grand Parade since 2010.
Binay would be in Cebu until today, when he is expected to attend the blessing of the Friends of Binay-United Nationalist Alliance Headquarters on Plaridel Street in Mandaue City.
When asked for comment, Rama also said he didn’t hear the boos.
The Vice President and his group planned to have their lunch at SM City Cebu yesterday. But they canceled their reservation at the mall’s food court at about 1 p.m. because of another appointment.