Manzano flies to US to attend brother's funeral

CADIZ, Negros Occidental , Philippines  – Administration vice presidential candidate Edu Manzano bade goodbye to thousands of his supporters here before flying last night to the United States to attend his brother’s funeral.

In an interview, Manzano, 54, said he has to take a leave of absence from the campaign because of his 63-year-old brother Adrian’s death.

But he said he would be back soon as he was impressed by the outpouring of support by Lakas-Kampi-CMD bets, led by presidential bet Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

The former Optical Media Board chairman said their “campaign trail has already ignited a spark and is now catching fire.”

“Surveys and actual warm bodies are two different things,” the former Makati vice mayor said during a rally at a jam-packed town plaza here organized by mayoralty candidate Patrick Escalante.

Manzano pointed out that the huge crowd that attended their political gatherings in Bacolod City and remote areas of Negros Occidental contradicted results of political surveys showing Teodoro and other Lakas-Kampi-CMD bets lagging behind other candidates.

Manzano’s elder brother died of a heart attack Tuesday in Florida.

“Our campaign efforts have established a momentum. It is possible that I will be back by Tuesday,” he said.

Gina Magsaysay del Rosario, Adrian’s wife, informed Manzano that family members have agreed to cremate the remains of her husband.

Aside from comforting family members, Manzano said he would also help in his brother’s cremation expenses.

“We need to settle his funeral expenses,” he pointed out, saying that Adrian was their campaign leader in the US.

Manzano said that he is at home while in Negros because he is a genuine “Bisoy.”

His great grandfather, the late Adriano Hernandez, was the first governor of Iloilo on nearby Panay Island. Manzano grew up in Concepcion, Iloilo.

Bets showing mental stress

Meanwhile, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan vice presidential candidate Jay Sonza said yesterday with barely a month before the elections, some candidates are already showing signs of mental stress and might eventually “trip off” if they lose.

“I am worried that some of the presidential, vice presidential, and senatorial candidates may break down,” he said.

Sonza said he was advised by former health Secretary Dr. Alberto Romualdez to take a break from the rigors of campaign.

He said in the past two weeks, what he encountered in political forums were signs of abnormal psychological behavior, with candidates’ answers far from the questions.

“The stress is visible in their faces – sleepless nights, hot weather, and the rigors of campaign. It’s really taking its toll,” Sonza said.

Veteran radio broadcaster Mike Abe, who was also at a news forum at Hotel Rembrandt in Quezon City, echoed Sonza’s observation.

He said during a nationwide forum he hosted in Davao City, some candidates suffered mental block and could no longer answer simple questions posed to them.

Sonza said the stress on national candidates could be observed in television interviews as their eyes and facial expressions reveal their mental stress.

He advised fellow candidates to take time to relax and be with their families at least one or twice a week.

“I go to movies, play golf, and spend time with my children,” he said.

Sonza said the sweltering heat is also taking its toll on national candidates.

Their blood pressure shoots up and cholesterol level increases, he said.

“ We must look at the sanity aspect of the candidates or we might end up electing candidates with mental problems,” he said.

Fernando wins online polls

Former MMDA chairman and Bagumbayan vice presidential candidate Bayani Fernando has consistently topped the weekly online mock elections on Facebook, a popular social networking site in the country.

In the latest two-week poll conducted by Facebook Election 2010 Application from March 18-April 1, Fernando led all vice presidential candidates with 45 percent of the votes cast, followed by Perfecto Yasay with 25 percent, and Mar Roxas, 13 percent.

The previous online weekly election rounds also saw the former MMDA chairman in the top spot.

Bimbo Cabochan, Fernando’s media head, welcomed the overwhelming support from the online sector.

“This confirms that more and more voters are now thinking and basing their decisions on track record, “ Cabochan said.

“We’ve always been hopeful of the online community since most Internet users are opinion leaders and they cannot be swayed by gimmicks, surveys or heavy advertising,” he said. – Jaime Laude, Perseus Echeminada