Father’s Day at canvassing

A page of the House of Representatives couldn’t take time off from work yesterday because of the ongoing congressional canvass, but this didn’t prevent him from spending Father’s Day with his family.

Mandy Fabro, 44, would have wanted to take his family to Tagaytay City yesterday, but because duty beckoned he decided to bring them along to the House, where he works as a plenary page.

"It’s okay. Anyway, my son really wants to attend sessions here. He was being asked by his classmates in Lourdes school, especially because they probably know that I’m working here. Besides, the children are very curious," he told The STAR.

Fabro agreed with his wife Rowena, 42, last Saturday that the entire family would leave for Tagaytay first thing yesterday morning. "But I cannot do anything. It’s my job to be here. But we’ll leave for Tagaytay as soon as the canvassing is finished," he said.

Fabro disclosed that his father lent him a Starex van for the family outing. His stepdaughter Karen, 21, son Arwen, 15, and daughters Samantha, 10 and Mikaela, 9, along with his granddaughter (Karen’s child) Winona, 2, made the trip to the hills of Batasan and sat in the north gallery.

The Fabros have been married for 15 years and reside in La Loma, Quezon City.

Also yesterday, some 12 children went to the House of Representatives to greet and offer mums and carnations to lawmaker-fathers who were rushing to finish the canvassing of votes for president and vice president and beat the June 30 deadline.

Ten-year-old Karen Cutamora, Grade V pupil from Batasan National Elementary School, said it would have been better if senators and congressmen spend time with their family in malls or parks.

Cutamora was given P500 by Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco, who said it was just for snacks.

Lolita Gerner, an official of the Alay sa Kapayapaan at Pagkakaisa that organized the children who distributed the flowers, said their only objective was to greet members of the 22-man joint canvassing committee and urge them to speed up the proceedings.

"We just want to greet them Happy Father’s Day. This is for everyone and this has no political color. We’re not supporting anyone. We just want the canvassing finished and we want to know who won as president," she said.

Just when the canvassing committee started its tabulation at 10 am. yesterday, the children distributed the flowers to members of the panel and lawyers of political parties. Coincidentally, it was also Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay’s birthday yesterday.