Gibo: Experiencing a last minute surge to win!

With just six days to go before the May 10 elections, the green light for Lakas-Kampi standard-bearer former Defense Sec. Gilbert “GIBO” Teodoro Jr. is on with great news. Yesterday we wrote about the Cebu Declaration signed by all the Lakas-Kampi Governors who call themselves as Team “Palabra de honor” including incumbent and aspiring Congressmen and women. As Lakas-Kampi chairperson Rep. Amelita Villarosa said, “If all the people in this room would deliver their promised percentages of the votes, we are looking at 11 million votes for GIBO Teodoro Jr.” Like it or not, the Lakas-Kampi Party is still the strongest political party in this country.

While the Governors were busy having a meeting, I got a lot of text messages that the exit polls for the absentee voting for all Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel was out. But I didn’t print this story yesterday until I got the official copy from the Campaigns & Images Group (CIG). I don’t know why the SWS and Pulse Asia pollsters did not come up with their own exit polls. So here it is.

Summary Report of Returns

28–30 April 2010

Regional Exit Poll

28 Locations Nationwide

Absentee Voting for AFP/PNP Personnel

CANDIDATEConsolidated Tabulation of Results

LUZVISMINTOTAL% RANK

AQUINO222729038419.58%

ESTRADA1444617136118.40%

GORDON401917763.87%

TEODORO32816136285143.39%

VILLANUEVA16105311.58%

VILLAR136517125813.15%

Total8863597161,961 

These numbers may not be significant as we are talking about individual soldiers or policemen doing this early voting. But just wait and see when the families of these policemen and soldiers go to the polling centers this coming May 10 and this number would increase five-fold. This is going to be the trend in this coming elections as this is no longer a survey that pollsters can manipulate. This is an exit poll and therefore this is the result of the voting by these AFP/PNP personnel.

* * *

Last Friday we learned that the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) one of the strongest supporters of GIBO Teodoro, suddenly turned around when Michael Mendoza declared that they were supporting the candidacy of Sen. Noynoy Aquino. Noynoy had made a courtesy call to Atty. Democrito “Kito” Mendoza in the hope of getting some kind of support from the ALU-TUCP. But we got text assurances from the Mendoza siblings that they were not supporting Aquino. Then bang! Something went awry!

Last Sunday, as the Cebu Green Team were preparing for a campaign caravan to Daanbantayan, two trucks from ALU-TUCP arrived festooned with Green GIBO posters, banners and stickers. I asked Cebu Green Team top honcho Rex Carampatana what was happening. Mr. Toto Sato of ALU told us that ALU-TUCP is holding an emergency meeting as it was obvious that important decisions like shifting their support to another Presidential candidate was a matter for the board of directors and its chairman to decide and not by a Regional officer.

In short, Michael Mendoza isn’t authorized to make that unexpected shift from GIBO to Noynoy! In the meantime, the ALU-TUCP was allowed to join the 120-vehicle caravan and what a caravan it was! The Cebu Green Team is composed of volunteers who brought their own cars, paid their own fuel and brought their own food. We were taken by surprise when we got to the Mercedes Golf Course, a feast with four lechons awaited the more than 500 Green Team members. Thanks to Ms. Diana Franco and Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin and Marian Miranda for their wonderful hosting.

As for the ALU-TUCP decision, they still haven’t come up with a statement on this case. I know in my heart that Atty. Kito Mendoza who knows the father of GIBO since their days in the Social Security System (SSS) would never waver and continue supporting GIBO. What they now need to do is make it official so that the people would know where they stand.

The hectic weekend was culminated by even bigger news that ABS-CBN reported. Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus finally and officially endorsed GIBO. Now that he is for GIBO, will Mayor Rodrigo Duterte follow suit? Incidentally, Bong Bong Marcos was also in Marco Polo last Saturday when GIBO was there. Something’s up? What’s happening to GIBO is the last minute surge coming from the undecided voters that cried out loud, Kaming walang Kibo ay para kay GIBO!