Rama, Duterte camps deny hand in campaign posters

Duterte Cebu campaign coordinator lawyer Rex Fernandez denied owning the Duterte-Rama campaign posters proliferating in Cebu City including at Pope John Paul II Ave. in Barangay Mabolo. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Who is behind the Duterte-Rama posters?

Neither reelectionist Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama nor the campaign leader in Cebu of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has claimed ownership of the campaign materials.

“The posters are not ours. Those maligned and are against the mayor (Duterte),” said lawyer Rex Fernandez, Duterte Cebu campaign manager.

He said the posters may have also come from Rama supporters who also support Duterte.

“It can be done by anybody,” he added.

Mayor Rama, Visayas coordinator of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), is supporting the presidential bid of Vice President Jejomar Binay. Team Rama candidates also reiterated their support for Binay, who is UNA standard-bearer, yesterday.

Rama earlier said he has instructed the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (Probe) team to remove the posters.

Rama said whoever had the posters printed didn’t have his permission to use his photo.

COMPLAINT

Marchel Sarno, Cebu City north district election officer, said the mayor should coordinate with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in having the campaign posters taken down.

“The best thing he can do is to write a letter of complaint to the Comelec so we can act on it,” said Sarno, who was at the Comelec provincial office in the Capitol compound yesterday for a coordination meeting on a series of trainings for members of the Board of Election Canvassers in April.

Sarno said there’s nothing wrong with the posters, unless these were placed outside the designated areas.

The posters have been put up along Pope John Paul II Ave. and outside the former One Citilink Terminal. Designated common poster areas include barangay centers, markets, plazas and the like where posters may be readily seen or read, with the heaviest pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic in the city or municipality.

TEAM RAMA

The proliferation of the Duterte-Rama posters prompted Team Rama members and allies to affirm their loyalty to Binay and his running mate, Sen. Gringo Honasan.

“We are loyal to VP Binay and we’re even campaigning hard for VP Binay. There’s no way from our camp that it will come out,” said Team Rama candidate and UNA secretary general Joy Pesquera.

She said some of their supporters are rooting for presidential candidates other than Binay but added that they were not encouraging them.

Councilor Gerry Carillo, Team Rama congressional candidate for Cebu City south district, said they have no idea who started the Duterte-Rama tandem.

“It doesn’t matter for us if Binay is strong or not. Basta, as long as we believe that we will be able to launch a campaign for Binay,” Carillo said.

Mabolo Barangay Captain Rey Ompoc, who is not a Rama ally, said the posters along Pope John Paul II Avenue may have been put up before the “Sugat” on Easter Sunday.

“Kadlawn gyud na gipangtaod, before sa Sugat. Wa gyud mi kahibaw. Daghan man kaayo diri sa Mabolo (Those must have been posted at dawn, before the Sugat. We don’t know. There are a lot of the posters in Mabolo),” he said.