NEWSFLASH 

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GOMA NO-SHOW ANGERS QUEZON PROVINCE ANTI-DRUG CROWD

Lucena City, Jan. 16, 2000 - Richard Gomez, Presidential Adviser on Youth and Sports, disappointed and angered some 60,000 public officials, students and citizens who gathered Friday afternoon at the Alcala Sports Complex for the MAD (Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga) indignation rally and for a glimpse of the actor.

The Manila Times describes the throng as much bigger than the crowd that attended the 1998 Palarong Pambansa and bigger even than the hakot or hired audience that attended the political campaign rallies of the late President Marcos and his first lady Imelda.

More than 11,000 students from Quezon National High School, biggest and oldest public high school in Southern Tagalog, walked all the way from Perez Park to Alcala Sports Complexa distance of almost four kilometers.

Classes at Quezon High and elementary schools were suspended. Government offices at Provincial Capitol and City Hall were closed in the afternoon. Thousands lined up along Quezon Avenue and other main streets of Lucena just to get a glimpse of their favorite actor, Richard Gomez.

The Get MAD rally got the widest publicity and mileage from local print and broadcast media, which whipped up interest in the rally with articles and broadcast promos one week before the event.

Thousands of Quezonians waited more than nine hours for Gomez. A barangay captain got mad after waiting for nine hours in vain, and vowed to boycott Richard Gomez’ future movies, the Manila Time reported.

It was learned that Gomez had earlier confirmed his attendance.

It almost did not matter to the hot, hungry and angry crowd that their top elected and appointed leaders were all in attendance: Gov. Willie Enverga, Rep. Rafael Nantes, Vice Gov. Jovito Talabong, Mayor and Mrs. Bernard G. Tagarao, Vice Mayor Raymundo Adormeo, senior provincial board member Georgilu Yumul, Board Members Remedios Diestro, Pat Andaman and Romulo Edano, Sr. Supt Charlemagne Alejandrino.