Bets stay at the sidelines of Panagbenga

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Political candidates behaved during the street-dancing competition and the float parade of the Baguio Flower Festival over the weekend.

Perhaps avoiding boos from the crowd of spectators, national candidates stayed on the sidelines.

Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manny Villar and his party wanted to join yesterday’s float parade without the required flower-inspired float, “but we advised them against it to avoid backlash as they will be met with boos from the crowd,” Amboy Guevarra, executive officer of the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. which managed the event. 

“We advised him (Villar) to join the VIPs at the Athletic Bowl instead where the float competitors converged,” Guevarra added.

Lakas-Kampi-CMD campaign manager Prospero Pichay, who earlier signified his intention to join the parade with a float, was a no-show.

Staying on the sidelines were NP’s vice presidential bet Loren Legarda who held a press conference Saturday night instead, and presidential bet Richard Gordon who also met the local media.

But Sen. Manuel Lapid, in his popular “Leon Guererro” image, had a caravan along Magsaysay Avenue up to the city market after the street-dancing competition Saturday noon.  

NP’s guest senatorial candidate Satur Ocampo and members of leftist party-list groups also marched along Session Road after yesterday’s float parade.

Former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman and vice presidential bet Bayani Fernando, who apparently was not informed of the policy against campaigning during the float parade, was courteously escorted out by event organizers.

For his part, Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro, whose late grandmother hailed from this city, stayed out of the parade but mingled with the crowd to shake hands. – With Jaime Laude, Mike Frialde and Christina Mendez