Arroyo to kick off campaign in vote-rich Cagayan Valley

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — President Arroyo is scheduled to crisscross Cagayan Valley for two days starting today in what could be her opening salvo for the official start tomorrow of the campaign period for national elective positions.

Rudie Bueno, regional director of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), confirmed yesterday that Mrs. Arroyo will kick off her four-province sortie with a 30-minute visit to this landlocked province, particularly to the vote-rich towns of Bayombong and Solano.

Mrs. Arroyo is expected to land at the Dumlao Stadium here aboard the presidential helicopter at about 10 a.m. today. From there, she, along with local members of the Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats) led by former police general Thompson Lantion, will go on a motorcade to Solano, some six kilometers from this capital town.

Before leaving this province for Cabarroguis town in Quirino, Mrs. Arroyo is scheduled to visit either the Nueva Vizcaya State Institute of Technology here or the Nueva Vizcaya State Polytechnic College in neighboring Bambang town to officially declare the merger of the two state-run colleges into the Nueva Vizcaya State University.

The merger of the two state-run colleges was made possible through a House resolution principally authored by House Minority Leader and Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla, now a senatorial candidate of the opposition.

From Nueva Vizcaya, Mrs. Arroyo and her entourage will proceed to the Quirino State University in Cabarroguis, Quirino for a 30-minute dialogue with students and local officials led by Gov. Pedro Bacani.

The President will then proceed to Tuguegarao City in Cagayan to grace the opening of the Cagayan Valley Regional Athletic Association (CAVRAA) sports meet at the Cagayan Sports Complex.

Ben Moses Ebreo, PIA information officer, said at least 30,000 delegates from the region’s five provinces are taking part in the five-day sports meet.

Lantion said the local Lakas-CMD chapter will gather over 10,000 party members to welcome Mrs. Arroyo in Cagayan and Isabela.

From Cagayan, the President is scheduled to spend the night in Cauayan City, Isabela to kick off her presidential campaign tomorrow.

Lantion, the Lakas-CMD bet for the lone congressional district of Nueva Vizcaya, said most of the ruling party’s senatorial candidates are expected to join the President in her campaign kick-off in Isabela, the country’s third biggest province.

Cagayan Valley is composed of Isabela, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and the island province of Batanes. The region accounts for at least one million votes.

Traditionally, the region belonged to the so-called Solid North but has become an opposition bailiwick following the downfall of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos.

Mrs. Arroyo’s expected strong chance in the region got a boost when the politically influential Dy clan, led by Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy Jr., threw its support behind her.

Of the five Cagayan Valley governors, four are supporting Mrs. Arroyo’s presidential candidacy.

Outgoing Nueva Vizcaya Gov. Rodolfo Agbayani, who is Lantion’s rival for congressman, is supporting the candidacy of Fernando Poe Jr. of the opposition’s Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino.