Two journalists covering opposition United Nationalist Alliance presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay and his running mate Senator Gregorio Honasan have been forced to rest after suffering fatigue and exhaustion due to the hectic pace of campaigning last week.
Starting in Cagayan de Oro on Saturday for Sunday’s first round of the presidential debate, the UNA team proceeded to Iligan and Lanao del Norte for sorties in Mindanao, Batangas and Quezon in Southern Tagalog and Manila.
From Saturday last week up to Sunday, the reporters could hardly keep up with the pace set by Binay and Honasan.
Amita Legaspi of GMA-7 had to be rushed to a hospital in Lucena City after her blood pressure shot up and her arms and legs went numb.
Mara Cepeda of Rappler developed fever and tonsilitis because of the unpredictable weather from one province to another.
Doctors said both reporters suffered from stress and fatigue.
Reporters wondered how Binay, who was dared by rival Mar Roxas of the ruling Liberal Party to make public his medical records and who was rumored to be ill, found the energy to sustain the campaign.
Binay appears energized and in high spirits every time he sees UNA supporters, who braved the scorching heat of the sun in Mindanao and rain in Luzon to give him a warm welcome.
Binay’s daughter, Senator Nancy Binay, has asked communications director Joey Salgado to ask the editors of the media networks to assign physically-fit reporters to Binay.
The spokesman of Binay, 73, former Mayor Ramon Ilagan, said the vice president “always takes everything in moderation.”
“He meditates, he exercises everyday and he prays a lot,” Ilagan said.
But Binay is also the most inaccessible of the candidates, evading reporters until he heard that some of them were already getting sick already running after him.
He finally relented and granted ambush interviews in Quezon, but has still refused to hold formal press conferences.