CEBU CITY — Less than two weeks before the May 9 elections, President Aquino was back in Cebu, the province with the most number of voters, to campaign for the administration standard bearer, Mar Roxas, and running mate, Rep. Leni Robredo, and slammed their rivals as the one with a foul mouth, the one who stole and another whose health status was hidden from the public.

Mr. Aquino graced the proclamation rally of Bando Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan at the Provincial Capitol grounds on Wednesday night.

It was the second visit of the President to Cebu in a week.

“When I retire from politics in 64 days, I would need someone to sustain the gains of Daang Matuwid (Straight Path),” he addressed the Cebuano crowd of more than 7,000 as of 4 p.m. according to police.

President Aquino said he had already done what the other candidates had promised in the campaign.

If there were things that needed improvement, he said Roxas and Robredo were the right pair to continue what was started.

The President said his administration constructed 7,900 public school classrooms in Cebu, among the 185,000 classrooms that the national government has been targeting to build.

Mr. Aquino reminded Cebuanos that his administration increased the province’s budget allocation for infrastructure projects to P38.4 billion.

He said that if Roxas would not succeed him, the new president might take a left turn or a U-turn from the Daang Matuwid (straight path).

Although he did not name any names, he criticized some of Roxas’ opponents, including one for having a foul mouth, one for stealing, and one for being secretive on health issues. (Survey front-runner Rodrigo Duterte has been widely criticized for cussing and dropping a rape joke in public; Vice President Jejomar Binay has been swamped with graft and corruption complaints; and Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, who has been battling cancer, has been questioned on her health status.)

“There aren’t any qualified other than Mar and Leni,” said Mr. Aquino.

President Aquino left immediately after his speech.

Roxas told the crowd that if elected, he would prioritize the generation of jobs and the improvement of the government’s cash dole-out scheme to the poor — the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). He said that the future of Filipinos could remain bright if Filipinos would avoid the wrong choices on May 9, Election Day.

“Convince your family, friends, neighbors that that bright future is in the hands of Mar and Leni,” said Roxas.

Roxas told supporters they should show the rest of the country that decency, goodness and respect would reign in the elections. SFM

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