Sara Duterte INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
TACLOBAN CITY — Vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio started her “Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas” caravan in Eastern Visayas in Southern Leyte, the birthplace of her father.
Carpio arrived Thursday in Liloan town, where she was welcomed by officials of the province led by Gov. Damian Mercado.
Mercado, in his speech, vowed to deliver votes for Carpio and her running mate, presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Sara is also from Southern Leyte because we know that President Digong was born in Southern Leyte and stayed in Southern Leyte. That’s why we feel Sara is our kababayan also,” the governor said.
“Of course here in Southern Leyte, we are supporting Sara and the UniTeam, including BBM,” he added.
During her visit to Southern Leyte, all 18 mayors of the province pledged their support to the Marcos-Carpio “Uniteam.”
Mayor Naccional Mercado of Maasin City said the Uniteam could expect a “landslide victory” in Southern Leyte.
“We fully support the bid of presidential aspirant Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. and vice-presidential aspirant Inday Sara together with all their senatorial line-up. We are solid and are behind [them], and will campaign because we fully understand that they are here to help us, especially since President Duterte was born in Maasin City. We can’t turn our backs on the Dutertes,” said Mercado, a nephew of the Southern Leyte governor.
The Mercados have ruled the province for decades now. The Southern Leyte has a voting population of 296,635.
In her brief speech, Carpio thanked the people of Southern Leyte for having helped her father win the presidency in 2016.
From Southern Leyte, Carpio traveled aboard an armored vehicle to Leyte, where she made several stops to meet local officials and their supporters.
In Tacloban City, Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Romualdez, both cousins of Marcos Jr., welcomed Carpio.
She led the inauguration of the Uniteam regional headquarters.
Carpio will also bring her caravan to Samar province on her way to Luzon.
Eastern Visayas, comprising six provinces, has a voting population of over 3.1 million registered voters and is touted to be a bailiwick of Marcos Jr.