Robredo bailiwick Bicol ready for show of force at Leni-Kiko send-off rallies

LEGAZPI, Philippines – Volunteers and officials from Albay, Sorsogon, and Camarines Sur have been working around the clock to muster a show of force at the send-off rallies of presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Friday, May 6.

The Robredo-Pangilinan ticket will hold major rallies in three cities in the Vice President’s home region, Bicol, before the grand miting de avance in Makati on the last day of the campaign.

In the morning, the team will be in Sorsogon City, followed by a rally in Legazpi City past noon, and finishing in Naga City later in the afternoon.

The Bicol rallies will be held on the eve of the tandem’s miting de avance in Makati City. The tandem kicked off their campaign last February 8 with a proclamation rally in Naga City.

Give way to Leni-Kiko rally, Salceda urges

Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda urged local candidates in his district to give way and cancel local rallies on Saturday to allow people to join the Legazpi City rally.

“This would allow Albay to gather a historic crowd in one place for the Bicolana candidate. Leni is the priority. I have asked all my teams on the ground to cancel all local rallies on May 6 so Albay can gather a historic crowd in one place in Sawangan for our very own Leni Robredo,” Salceda said, referring to Sawangan Park in Legazpi City.

In Albay, Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal suspended classes in public and private schools at all levels on Friday, due to the heavy traffic expected because of the thousands expected to join rally.

Aside from the suspension of classes, work in all government institutions – except those involved in security, disaster risk management, health and sanitation and delivery of vital services – will also be suspended on Friday.

“Suspension of work in private offices is left to the sound discretion of their respective management,” Rosal, who is running for governor against re-electionist Al Francis Bichara, said in an advisory.

Motorists are advised to take alternate routes, the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Albay second engineering district office said in an advisory.

The DPWH advised motorists coming from Albay’s 3rd District to take the Guinobatan-Jovellar-Iluluan-Taladong-Tabon-Tabon-Estanza-Taysan-Puro (Tourism Mega Highway) to Sawangan Park.

The local DPWH office also advised motorists that a section of Maharlika Highway (Banag and Malabog section) only has one lane passable due to road work.

Mayor Ester Hamor of Sorsogon City also ordered the suspension of classes in all levels and work in government offices in their city on Friday.

“Classes in all levels and work in government offices are suspended tomorrow, May 6, to give way to the holding of a rally in the central business district. We remind everyone to adhere to minimum public health standards,” Hamor said in an advisory released Thursday, May 5. – Rappler.com