Anti-graft group set for Toledo sortie

CEBU, Philippines - The Good versus Evil Brigade (GvE), a movement against the “evil practices” of groups and politicians, is set to visit eight barangays in Toledo City today together with gubernatorial candidate Hilario “Junjun” Davide III and the rest of the Liberal Party candidates in the province as it continues its “crusade to promote good governance among the people”.

Davide is supporting the cause of the member organizations of GvE that ambitions to achieve a kind of governance “rooted with the pureness of hearts of its leaders,” said Ferliza Contratista, media and event coordinator of GvE.

Their visit in Toledo City today will be the second time that the gubernatorial candidate and his runningmate incumbent Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez will personally visit the sister groups of GvE in different parts of the province.

The first was in Badian town wherein six barangays and one island were visited by Davide, Sanchez and Cora Lou Kintanar who is running as Cebu second district representative and Carmiano Kintanar running as Provincial Board member.

Contratista clarified that GvE is not directly under the Liberal Party but is a parallel group following their own mode of campaign for the candidacy of Davide.

“We are not expecting a big crowd with all the carnivals, these are small groups organized by our mini chapters, relatives, elders of clans and parishioners among others. We are not the conventional campaigners,” Contratista said.

She said that most of the members of GvE are Cebu City residents who in one way or another are continuously aggrieved by some actions of the persons running the provincial government.

Organizations that are members of GvE include the Alliance of Barangay Apas Associations (ABACA), an organization of over 1,000 family members who are mobilizing their relatives and friends in different arts of the province for Davide. ABACA has an ongoing case filed against the provincial government.

Other members are barangay Luz residents and several urban poor groups in the city. Sectoral groups with organized branches in the province like Pagtambayayong Foundation, Lihok Filipina, Akbayan, Center for Participatory Ordinance and many others are also joining GvE in the campaign.

Currently, GvE has 261 mini chapters province-wide and is maintaining two daily radio programs, the “Good vs. Evil Brigade” over Aksyon Radyo and “Pagsulbong sa Kausaban” over Bantay Radyo. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)