Candidates Told To Refrain From Campaigning During Sinulog

Anticipating the appearance of political candidates especially during the Sinulog highlight, which is the Mardi Gras on January 17, organizers of the annual event warned this early that this is prohibited.

Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation, Inc. (SFI), said he expects candidates to take advantage of the occasion to be highly visible during the Grand Parade next Sunday as the annual event averaged over a million spectators.

“We urged political candidates to adhere to the guidelines set by the Sinulog Foundation that the event is not a political venue to do their campaign,” said Ballesteros.

Although no sanctions will be meted out to the candidate found to be violating the guideline, Ballesteros said a violation would show the character of the candidate and the kind of person voters would elect to public office.

The SFI executive director said candidates who are found to be walking and shaking the hand of a friend is acceptable but to be shaking the hands of the people along the way is a different story. “This is the time their attention will be called,” said Ballesteros.

In case politicos refuse to heed their call, Ballesteros said they would seek the assistance of the police.

Ballesteros, however, said it is a standard procedure to issue an invitation to high level government officials but that the invitations are taken cared of by the Office of the Mayor.

Ballesteros bared that the short program at the Cebu City Sports Complex will be done to open the start of the Grand Parade with short messages from Acting Mayor Edgardo Labella and Mayor Michael Rama.

Meanwhile, a similar appeal is made by Fr. Jonas Mejares, rector of the Basilica del Sto. Niño, to politicos to refrain from campaigning in the church or nearby that would disrupt the solemnity of the mass where thousands of devotees gather for the daily numerous masses. (rmn/fcr/PIA7)