Noy skipping Davao City in campaign in South

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino will be in Davao today to inaugurate the Mount Hamiguitan World Heritage Park in Davao Oriental and then campaign for administration candidates in Davao del Sur. 

Aquino is apparently skipping Davao City where Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a rival of the Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II, hails from.

Mount Hamiguitan, which has 2,000 hectares of protected forest, has one of the most diverse wildlife populations in the country and is home to the Philippine Eagle and several species of tropical pitcher plants or monkey cups.

In Iloilo City yesterday, the President met with Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo at the Archbishop’s Palace after a talk with Iglesia ni Cristo executive minister Eduardo Manalo in Quezon City on Monday.

He was also in Cagayan province Monday to inaugurate a new bridge in Pamplona town and met with local and community leaders at the Cagayan National High School in Tuguegarao City.

Aquino warned Filipinos against voting for Vice President Jejomar Binay who might decide to keep himself in power for 84 years with the help of his children.

“Mar (Roxas) has a rival who is in the government and has three children who are also in the government. If they are each given 21 years in governance, that will total 84 years,” the President explained in Filipino, indirectly referring to Sen. Nancy Binay, Makati Rep. Abby Binay and former Makati mayor Junjun Binay.

He said that, unlike Binay, Roxas has no relatives or immediate family members in the government.

Aquino told the crowd that it is important to maintain the gains made during his six years in office as he also endorsed vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo.

“It is important because if we make the wrong choice, we might be driven to the left or to the right. Worse – they could do a U-turn bringing us back to where we came from,” he said.

Aquino and Binay had a falling out in June 2015 due to political differences.

In Iloilo City, Roxas appealed yesterday to the undecided voters to look at the characters of candidates when they go out and vote on May 9. 

“What we’re going to vote for is crucial – our future and the future of our children,” Roxas told reporters in Iloilo City. 

Pollsters estimate that 20 to 30 percent of voters only decide in the last few days before the elections. The undecided can provide the boost for Roxas and his runningmate Robredo. 

Latest polls show Roxas in a statistical tie with Sen. Grace Poe for second place while trash-talking Duterte remains at the top, ahead of Roxas by about 10 percentage points, which analysts say is equivalent to about five million votes.  – With Delon Porcalla, Paolo Romero