CEBU, Philippines - Lakas- Kampi-CMD standard bearer Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro will be in Cebu today to hold a series of campaign rallies in key areas of the province, buoyed anew by the unwavering support of its governor and other local chief executives who have declared the province as “Gibo country.”
The series of campaign rallies in various towns and cities of Cebu will culminate tonight in a grand rally in Mandaue City.
Teodoro will kick-off his Cebu sortie today in Minglanilla accompanied by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and her runningmate Glenn Soco where they will grace the Barangay Health Workers General Assembly to be held at the Minglanilla Sports Complex.
More than 20,000 Barangay Health Workers from the different cities and municipalities of Cebu province are set to attend the assembly.
After his visit to Minglanilla, Teodoro will proceed to Toledo City to lead the blessing and unveiling of the marker of the New Toledo Garden City Hall and the awarding of the PJ Cup.
After lunch, he will fly to Daanbantayan to start his series of rallies in the province.
From there he will visit Medellin to attend the Sinulog Mardi Gras at the Medellin Stadium and proceed to Bogo City for another campaign rally.
This will be followed by evening campaign rallies in the cities of Danao and Lapu-Lapu.
Teodoro also has the support of the family of Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III and his son 5th District Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI.
The Durano clan controls the city of Danao and the ten municipalities of the 5th District including the towns in Camotes Island.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo O. Radaza, who is seeking the congressional post, and his wife Paz Radaza, who is seeking the mayoralty post, have assured votes for Teodoro and his runningmate Edu Manzano.
Tomorrow, he will continue his two-day Cebu blitz with a string of rallies in Camotes Island and Bantayan Island in the morning; and in Dumanjug and Argao towns in the afternoon.
He is also scheduled to be at a rally in Carcar City in the afternoon.
He will cap his visit here with a grand rally tomorrow night in Mandaue City.
Recent surveys have placed Teodoro in No. 1 or No. 2 in online mock polls and other non-mainstream surveys with just two weeks to go before the May 10 elections.
He topped the online surveys by BusinessWorld and Manila Bulletin and was No. 2 in separate surveys by the Makati Business Club, the Dutch financial giant ING Bank, and the Cebu City-based Campaigns and Image Group.
Last week, Teodoro was also here to meet with at least 41 incumbent governors and gubernatorial candidates led by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who comprise the Governors for Gibo (G4G) or Team Palabra de Honor.
The governors met at the Marco Polo Hotel and vowed to stand by the standard bearer of the Lakas-Kampi CMD party.
The governors and candidates also signed another manifesto of support.
Observers say that the machinery of the party is one reason for the recent surge of Teodoro in the surveys.
The Lakas-Kampi-CMD, being the dominant party, has members in practically all cities and municipalities around the country.
There are also many young volunteers for Teodoro’s campaign, who have been taking their own initiatives to help their candidate.
Mike Toledo, Teodoro’s spokesman and head of the G1BO 2010 Media Bureau, said the party machinery and their candidate’s lock on the votes of students and youth will ensure his victory on May 10.
Among the volunteer groups mounting parallel “green rallies” to broaden Tedoro’s constituency and ensure his victory the presidential race are Volunteers for Gibo of Andrew Masigan; Mahal Ko, Bayan Ko of Evelyn Kilayko; Green Team 2010; G-Squad; Animo Gibo; Palit-Galing Movement; Friends of Ramos for Teodoro; and GTBrigada Gibo.
There is also Green Team Cebu, which is composed of a broad spectrum of society. —/NLQ