By Germelina Lacorte
davaotoday.com
DAVAO CITY — Mayor Rodrigo Duterte tried to hard-sell the Team Unity ticket by dangling the fallen bridge in Bankerohan to win votes for the administration bets.
“You’ve failed me in the last election. I hope now, you’re not going to fail me,” Duterte told the crowd gathered under the flyover of Agdao on Tuesday night. Opposition bets won overwhelmingly in this part of the city in the 2004 elections.
“If you vote for the Team Unity, we can have that bridge repaired,” he said, referring to the Generoso Bridge I near the Bankerohan Market. The bridge was recently damaged and Duterte promised to fasttrack its repair in time for Christmas. The damage rendered the bridge impassable to motorists; the repair also displaced 500 families who have been living under it for years.
Even Team Unity senatorial bet Miguel Zubiri also promised to set aside a portion of his partys fund to repair the 57-year-old bridge.
City administrator Wendel Avisado earlier said the cost of putting up a new one would cost up to 350 million pesos. In earlier rallies, Duterte said the city could not afford to put up another bridge.
” We will all give a share for the repair of the bridge,” Zubiri told the crowd during the TU and Hugpong meeting de avance Tuesday night.
Duterte also warned that if the opposition wins, there would be another impeachment attempt against the president, the country would again be drawn into a political turmoil and the economy would suffer. “We have to show the administration our appreciation,” he said.
He added that a new kidney facility is also being put up by the administration in Lanang.
First district congressman Prospero Nograles, a close administration ally was conspicuously missing during the last salvo of the campaign.
Duterte’s political group Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod had earlier signed an agreement with the Team Unity with Nograles. Reports in the early part of the campaign showed that Duterte was not in good terms with Nograles as Duterte’s local group Hugpong is also supporting candidates known to be vocal critics of the Arroyo administration. (Germelina Lacorte/davaotoday.com)
2007 Elections
