Winston, One Cebu back Binay

CEBU, Philippines - Gubernatorial candidate Winston Garcia and his party, One Cebu, are supporting Vice President Jejomar Binay for president.

In a statement, Garcia said the decision came after “exhaustive consultations with Cebuanos from all walks of life and from all sectors of society.”

Garcia cited Binay’s track record in public service and his experience as housing and OFW czar as two reasons he is supporting the candidate.

Garcia said Binay “also presented the most credible, doable and economics-centrist platform of government among the other presidential candidates.”

“We closely looked at VP Binay’s platform and I see his administration getting wide support from the private sector in effecting inclusive economic growth, the kind that is felt by the poorest of the poor because jobs that put food on the table are generated,” Garcia said.

He said he is confident that the controversial candidate will answer the allegations against him at the right venue and the issues he is facing have shown his being “mature, not being easily given to emotion and his trust and faith in the justice system.”

“I and the majority of the members of One Cebu believe that the vice president would answer at the right time and at the right venue – the courts of law – the issues that have been raised against him,” Garcia said.

Garcia pointed out that Binay has been going around the country quietly to present directly to the people his vision of pushing the Philippines to become an economic giant.

“Sadly, the purported economic gains being touted are not being felt by the majority of our countrymen. If Binay was able to improve the lot of the poor in Makati, he as President can surely do more to ease poverty in the urban and rural centers,” he said.

Streamer

Meanwhile, Cebu City acting mayor Edgardo Labella ordered an investigation into the placement of a streamer that bore the text “Welcome to Binay country” at the South Road Properties where the closing Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress was held last Sunday.

“It’s really in bad taste because it’s a religious activity, it’s a spiritual activity, and we had visitors all over the world and these visitors came from the religious so it had to be removed,” Labella said yesterday.

A photo of the streamer went viral online.

“I’m having it investigated because I don’t want to speculate kon kinsay nagbutang adto... I am asking PROBE (Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement) to investigate the matter if who were behind it… Tan-awon nato kon kinsay nagbutang adto tungod kay dili maayo nga sagulan nato ug politika,” Labella said.

He said the city is standing by its order not to allow political advertisements in public areas.

“We have a standing order to remove all those political ads since the Sinulog in all public places until yesterday. We ordered Raquel Arce (PROBE head) to have it removed,” Labella said.

Violators will face sanctions, he said, no matter which political group. Labella is seeking reelection under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), a political party headed by Binay.

Former mayor Tomas Osmeña, an ally of the Liberal Party, expressed outrage on the streamer online.

“Thousands of policemen were present during the IEC. Security was as strict as it was during the ASEAN. Do you think someone could just walk into the SRP, take a heavy, government-owned metal barrier, and hang a streamer there without the sanction of the local government?” Osmeña wrote.  — /JMO (FREEMAN)