Manila Mayor Isko Moreno brought his campaign activities in vote-rich Batangas to an abrupt end Saturday (March 26) after PHIVOLCS raised Alert Level 3 over Taal Volcano due to increased activity.
During a sortie in San Nicolas, Moreno said it would be better for residents to return to their homes so they can prepare in case they need to evacuate.
“We will never know. Nature ‘yan eh. But ang pinaka importante ngayon ay ‘yung buhay nila, kagamitan nila kesa sa kampanya ko. Kaya minabuti ko, pinakiusapan ko, I don’t know kung napansin nyo kanina sa entablado nakisuyo ako sa kanilang lahat kay Sen Ralph, kay Doc Willie, at ‘yung ating si mayor Lester na kung pupwede i-cut short para magsalita na ako at mapauwe ko na ‘yung tao makabalik sa kani-kanilang mahal sa buhay at tahanan,” he said.
San Nicolas town is more than 10 kilometers away from Taal Volcano. Should the volcano’s increased activity result in another eruption, Moreno assured residents that the city government of Manila will be ready to help.
“Rest assured sa mga taga-Batangas, we will help in our own little way katulad na rin nang nagawa namin. But for the meantime samahan ninyo ang inyong mga mahal sa buhay, ingat kayo, may-awa ang Diyos makakaraos tayo,” he said.
Moreno has been in Batangas since Friday (March 25) to attend the grand rally launching the electoral bids of local politikos in Lipa. One of the officials who welcomed him was Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, who’s running for a congressional seat in the province.
Based on data from the Commission on Elections, Batangas is the 7th vote-rich province in the country with 1,819,071 registered voters.
