BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Presidential candidate and Vice President Leni Robredo is returning to Negros Occidental on May 3 to attend a “People’s Proclamation Rally” and a meeting with political and sectoral leaders in Bacolod City and the province.
Robredo will be accompanied by her vice-presidential candidate, Senator Francis Pangilinan.
Former Governor Rafael Coscolluela, Robredo People’s Council provincial campaign manager, yesterday said that a 20-kilometer caravan of “Kakampinks” will start from Bago City, where she will attend mini-rally, before proceeding to Bacolod City.
VP Leni and Senator Pangilinan will be endorsed by political and multi-sectoral leaders from 31 cities and municipalities of Negros Occidental during the people’s proclamation rally in Bacolod City, Coscolluela said.
He added that the RPC- Bacolod City Chapter led by private sector volunteers, together with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, congressional candidate Dan Atayde and about 8 Grupo Progreso aspirants for councilor, will separately proclaim the Leni-Kiko tandem in a separate program to be held at an adjacent venue, the Acacia Hotel in Bacolod City.
The RPC- Bacolod event will also be attended by barangay leaders and coordinators of Grupo Progreso, as well as leaders and volunteers of Laban Leni Negros Occidental, Coscolluela added.
Prior to her arrival in Negros Occidental, Coscolluela said VP Leni will also attend a series of events in Iloilo and Panay areas, on the same day.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, who expressed his support to the presidential bid of Robredo, lauded the Aranetas and Ledesmas for their show of support for VP Leni, after their solidarity walk around the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on April 30.
Dr. Romana de los Reyes, RPC Bago coordinator, a staunch Robredo supporter and an environment advocate, said Bagoenos are eager and excited to welcome VP Leni.
“Her visit is a recognition of the overwhelming votes of 46,110 she got here in 2016,” de los Reyes pointed out.
Bago City, among the province’s 13 component cities gave Robredo the highest number of votes, apparently because of grassroots mobilization, as well as the support of the Araneta family when she was the running mate of Mar Roxas.
Sagay City, the turf of the late Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr., delivered the second highest number of votes with 43,974, followed by Cadiz City, 41,818; Kabankalan City, 40,759; and Silay City with 36,165.
The highly-urbanized Bacolod City delivered 119,447 votes for Robredo in 2016, Edwin Nacionales – RPC Negros Occidental operations head, said.
Nacionales also said that the visit of Robredo on Tuesday came in the wake of a recent survey showing that she and Senator Kiko are leading the race in Negros Occidental that has 1.9 million voters.
Robredo is comfortably ahead with 48.9 percent against the 24 percent of the second-ranked presidential aspirant, Coscolluela earlier said.*
