The provincial capitol building of Pampanga. (Photo courtesy of the Pampanga government)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—Gov. Dennis Pineda has appealed to the province’s 1.4 million registered voters to respect and listen to all national candidates who would come campaigning for the May 9, 2022 elections, a video streamed on social media showed.
The governor, 45, made this remark on Tuesday, Dec. 21, before he handed salaries to over 1,000 workers employed in emergency jobs by the Department of Labor and Employment.
Anticipating more intense bickering among voters during national polls, Pineda advised: “Nung ninu man pu lungub king Pampanga, tanggapan ta la. Eta la pu babastusan, buri ta la o ali (Whoever enters Pampanga, let’s accept them. Do not be discourteous to them, whether we like them or not).”
“Nung ating maka-Ping Lacson, still, respetuan ta la. Ating maka-Manny Pacquiao, ating maka-Isko Moreno, we respect them. Epu kailangan na itamung Kapampangan mipate-pate tamu pu uling reng kandidatung areni (If there are pro-Ping Lacson, pro-Manny Pacquiao or pro-Isko Moreno, we respect them. We Kapampangans do not have to fight over these candidates),” Pineda said, referring also to Vice President Leni Robredo.
He said he would accept and welcome national candidates.
Although he would endorse candidates, Pineda said he would not force his choices on voters, adding: “You are free to vote for those you like. You don’t have to follow my decision. I will respect your decision to pick candidates of your choice).”
Commission on Elections data showed that Pampanga’s 19 towns and three cities counted 1,460,302 registered voters during the 2019 local elections.