BLOCKED. |The group of Eastern Samar lone district congressional aspirant Christopher Sheen Gonzales cancelled a campaign rally after a big truck parked at the center of the town’s plaza in Guiuan, Eastern Samar Friday night (May 10, 2019). Gonzales' camp, in a statement, said it will not push through with the rally for the safety of its supporters. (Photo by Lizbeth Ann A. Abella)
GUIUAN, Eastern Samar -- The group of lone district congressional aspirant Christopher Sheen Gonzales failed to hold their campaign rally on Friday evening.
The group cancelled the event after a big truck allegedly owned by their opposing camp parked at the center of the town’s plaza and placed several barricades at the plaza’s entrance.
Eva dela Cruz, Guiuan election officer, said all permits from the camp of Gonzales were approved prior to his suspension as mayor.
However, when Acting Mayor Susana Lourdes Gaylon assumed post last week of March, she revoked these permits.
Dela Cruz said despite the revocation of permits from the acting mayor, Gonzales’ camp appealed their request and was granted to continue with the rally, through provincial election officer Karen Cajipo.
She admitted that the operation of their office was affected because of the situation at the plaza, with the sound system of both camps playing different campaign jingles.
Dela Cruz requested the Philippine National Police to secure the area.
Although dela Cruz said she wanted to implement the order of the provincial election officer, Gaylon blocked it, prompting her to elevate the appeal to the Commission on Elections regional office and the Comelec central office.
The camp of Gonzales, in a statement, said it will not push through with the rally for the safety of its supporters, although the group is convinced that Gaylon’s camp only wanted to provoke them.
Gaylon’s camp also stood their ground that they will not give way since they also have an appeal to the regional office, dela Cruz said.
As of this posting, Gaylon has yet to comment on the matter.
Gaylon is running for mayor against former mayor Annaliza Kwan, Gonzales’ elder sister.
Both camps of Gonzales and Gaylon wanted to hold their political grand rally at town’s plaza on the same night. (PNA)
