BOPK: Celebrities no bearing on results

THE Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) is not threatened by the endorsement of several celebrities of the slate of Mayor Michael Rama’s Team Rama. BOPK chief Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south) believes celebrities will not make Team Rama win. “It is useless. Just like it failed to help (Manny) Villar in 2010 presidental elections,” he said. Osmeña’s statement came after television host Wille Revilliame held a “Wowowillie” show in the city Saturday night at Plaza Independencia and endorsed Team Rama north district congressional candidate Anabelle Rama and the group’s whole slate.

Celebrities Ogie Alcasid and James Blanco also endorsed Anabelle during the show. In the April 6 Team Rama rally, several celebrities who are talents of Anabelle also endorsed the group. Like Osmeña, Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said celebrities will not make Team Rama win. He said Cebuanos are intelligent voters. Young also told Team Rama not to brag about the crowd they gathered, more particularly during the Wowowillie activity. He said people went there for the celebrities, not the Team Rama bets. “It’s a false sense of accomplishment or power ba. It’s so stupid on their part because the people only went there kay motan-aw og artista,” he said. But Young encourages Team Rama to continue bringing in celebrities in the city because it will give the city’s constituents free entertainment. Waterfront Police Station Chief Wildemar Tiu estimated the crowd who went at the Wowowillie activity Saturday night to have reached 80,000 to 90,000. Mayor Rama put the number at 100,000. In a separate interview, Rama said he is no longer surprised that BOPK is criticizing the number of celebrities endorsing the Team Rama candidates. “What else is new?” he said. Rama said he is not bragging about the crowd nor using it to counter the estimated 65,000 people who attended the BOPK rally with the Liberal Party last April 19. “I don’t want to compete with them but it’s just to show nga naay mga tawo nga nisuporta namo kay ang akong kontra sige man og panghinambog nga mas daghan ilaha (We have supporters, contrary to what the other party is saying),” he said. Last night, Anabelle celebrated her birthday at the Plaza and it was graced by more celebrities, particularly those who are her friends in the showbiz industry.