El Caribe newspaper reports today that Senator Manuel Emilio Ramirez (PRD-Elias Pina) said that Air Force chief Virgilio Sierra Perez distributing RD$100 bills during the campaign activities of President Hipolito Mejia is nothing out of the ordinary and not intended to generate support for Mejia. He said that Sierra Perez has been known to always help the poor in his province. The action was criticized by the secretary general of the PLD opposition party, Reynaldo Pared Perez, who also criticized that governmental OMSA buses were used to transport Mejia supporters.