MANILA, Philippines - Bad weather forced President Aquino to cancel his flight yesterday morning to Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental where he was supposed to attend a local rally for the Team PNoy senatorial candidates as well as inaugurate a business process outsourcing park.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte confirmed to reporters the flight cancellation, but said Aquino went ahead with his early evening meeting with local Liberal Party (LP) leaders in barangay Lawaan II open grounds in Talisay City, Cebu last night.
“It (Dumaguete flight) did not push through because there was some kind of weather disturbance and it was not deemed safe for the President and his party to fly,†she told a news briefing in Malacañang.
The cancelled appointments were the 11 a.m. inauguration of the Qualfon building, Link Sy IT park in Barangay Bantayan, and the 2:30 p.m. LP rally at Cong. Lamberto Macias Sports and Cultural Center, Kagawasan Avenue – both in Dumaguete City.
Valte said she coordinated the changes in travel plans with Gen. Ramon Dizon, commander of the Presidential Security Group. Aquino was supposed to inaugurate the second site of BPO company Qualfon in Dumaguete City.
Sen. Franklin Drilon, a stalwart of the Liberal Party and campaign manager of Team PNoy, represented him in the event.
Former Senator Jamby Madrigal, Bam Aquino IV and Grace Poe-Llamanzares were the only candidates who showed up in Dumaguete while Sen. Aqulino Pimentel III was represented by his sister Gwen Pimentel, and Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara by his wife Tootsie.
The venue of the Team PNoy rally in Talisay, Cebu had to be moved from a large open area in front of the city hall to a covered gym in Tabunok which accommodated fewer people.
Over a thousand local government officials and supporters of the administration showed up for the rally in Cebu, led by Hilario Davide III, the son and namesake of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., who is running for governor, and acting Cebu governor Agnes Magpale who is running as vice governor.
Around 90,000 people attended the United Nationalist Alliance’s proclamation rally in Cebu City last week.
Palace reporters who were supposed to cover Aquino’s event in Dumaguete also failed to attend the LP proclamation rally after Air Philippines cancelled its 7 a.m. flight.
The C-130 plane carrying Malacañang’s advance party to Dumaguete was diverted to Cebu also due to bad weather.
Aquino will be in Iloilo – home province of Drilon – tomorrow for another rally of Team PNoy. – With Marvin Sy