President Carlos Polistico Garcia’s campaign days in Bohol – Last Part

President Garcia is the only elected president who came from Central Visayas. He succeeded President Ramon Magsaysay who died in a plane crash in the mountains of Balamban, Cebu, on March 17, 1957. Garcia ran for election as president on November 12, 1957, winning and defeating Jose Yulo (LP), Manuel Manahan (Progressive Party), Claro M. Recto (Nationalist Citizens Party), and Antonio Quirino (Qurino Wing, LP). On November 10, 1959, the senatorial election was held, majority of the allies of Garcia won. This is the official narration of the events that happened on his campaign in Bohol accompanied by his Cebuana wife, Leonila Dimataga:

“About 1:30 p.m., the President and party left Talibon and motored back to Tagbilaran, passing along the eastern coastal towns and making unscheduled stops in a number of municipalities owing to large crowds which would not let the presidential car pass unless the President alighted and say a few words on improvised platforms set up by townspeople.

“This morning, the presidential party passed along the western coastal towns enroute to Talibon. The President also had to make unscheduled stops in response to popular clamor. The President is due to arrive in Manila by plane before noon tomorrow, after a six-day information tour of Mindanao provinces. After fulfilling engagements in Manila, the President is scheduled to visit Pangasinan, Negros Occidental, and Cebu. Then he will go back to Tagbilaran where he and the First Lady will vote on election day.

“November 3.—PRESIDENT Garcia returned to Manila at 1 p.m. today from a six-day inspection tour which took him as far north as La Union, Ilocos Norte, and Cagayan to the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur and Cotabato in the far south.

“The President arrived on board the Fokker Friendship Plane together with the First Lady, who had joined him in Bohol where the President had taken time off from his tour to pay homage to his late parents on All Souls’ Day at his hometown, Talibon.

“In his Mindanao visit the President was assured by NP leaders of a landslide victory for the official candidates of the majority party.

“In his tour of the Ilocos provinces the President expressed confidence that the NP will again emerge triumphant in this year’s election. In Ilocos Norte he expressed confidence that the Nacionalista Party will be able to crack “the last remaining bailiwick of the Liberals.”

“Sen. Eulogio Balao, together with Gov. Marcelo Adduru, Rep. Benjamin Ligot, and other Northern Luzon leaders, assured the President of another victory of the Nacionalistas. They said the fight for the gubernatorial post in Cagayan is limited to Nacionalista candidates who support the NP senatorial ticket.”