CEBU CITY, Philippines – Reelectionist Senator Grace Poe on Saturday, March 30,  urged Cebuano voters to help ensure that the composition of the Senate is “balanced” so that all views would be represented when important measures are tackled in the chamber.

Poe was among the guests at the proclamation rally of regional party Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), led by reelectionist Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña. (READ: How 7 reelectionist senators voted on key issues, bills)

“Pwede ko bang hingin ang inyong suporta? Dahil alam ‘nyo, ang Senado kailangan balanse. Hindi pwedeng galing sa isang partido lang. Kung hindi, walang mangyayari – dahil puro approve-approve lang o kaya puro disapprove. Dapat merong nagdi-debate, kaya dapat lahat ng sides may representation,” Poe said at the rally.

(Can I ask for your support? Because you know, the Senate has to be balanced. It can’t be that all will come from the same party. If so, nothing will happen – because bills would either be all approved or disapproved. There should be debates, that’s why all sides need representation.)

Poe said that she knew Cebuanos were “thinking voters” who based their vote on the candidate’s platform, and not because an aspirant was popular or a celebrity.

“Alam ko ang mga Cebuano ay nag-iisip kung sinong iboboto nila. Hindi kayo basta-basta bumuboto dahil sikat. Hindi porke’t artista, iboboto ng mga Cebuano. Kailangan nakikita ninyo na masipag. Kailangan nakikita ninyo ang plataporma dahil kayo ay mga nag-iisip na botante,” Poe said.

(I know that Cebuanos think about who they vote for. You don’t vote on the basis of popularity, or because someone is a celebrity. You have to see that they are hardworking. You have to see their platform, because you are thinking voters.)

Aside from Poe, Mayor Osmeña was also supporting the Senate bid of his brother,  former senator Sergio Osmeña III, and Senator Sonny Angara who heads BOPK’s national party, Laban ng Demokrating Pilipino.

Osmeña also backed the bids of reelectionist Senator Cynthia Villar, and former presidential aide Christopher “Bong” Go. In a chance interview with reporters on Saturday, the mayor explained that he was supporting Go because they were friends. 

Cebu tops the list of 81 provinces when it comes to the number of registered voters, with 3.08 million voters registered for the May 2019 polls. (IN NUMBERS: Registered voters for the May 2019 elections)

During the 2013 midterm elections, Poe received 240,010 from Cebu City, the second highest at that time. In the provincial level, she received 580,447 votes, landing her among the top 4 candidates in the whole of Cebu.

When Poe ran for president in 2016, she came in third in Cebu. – Rappler.com