Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. Photo from: Lakas-CMD
One Cebu, the most dominant political party in the vote-rich province, has formally endorsed Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte who is running for vice president in the May 9 elections.
However, the party founded and led by the Garcias has yet to decide who to back for president.
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Rep. Pablo John Garcia of the third district said that “we have always been for Sara Duterte as vice president.”
“Perhaps, the focus in recent weeks has been on who our candidate for president will be. That is understandable. But the party had always been for Mayor Sara as vice president the moment she substituted as candidate for vice president,” he added.
Cebu, including its independent cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, is the most vote-rich province in the country with over 3.2 million registered voters for the upcoming polls, according to the Commission on Elections.
Garcia, the secretary general of One Cebu, has been vocal about his support for presidential aspirant Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso while his niece, Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia Frasco, is supporting former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Frasco, the daughter of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, is the spokesperson of Duterte although the governor said they had yet to decide who to back for the presidency.
In his home province of Ilocos Norte, Marcos told an estimated 10,000 Ilocanos to also support Duterte “if you will support me” since she was the most competent among those running for vice president.
Speaking in Tagalog during his almost 20-minute speech on Wednesday, Marcos reiterated his appeal for unity but did not talk about his plans and platform.
“So it’s very important that … when we elect the president, we must also give that president someone who will help [him] and work [with him] and not someone who will fight but will do everything to make sure that everything we do will be successful,” he said.
“And that is what I ask from you: If you are going to support me, and I am once again asking for your support, if you will give me that support, it is really necessary that you also include your support for our vice president, Mayor Inday Sara,” he added.
In 2016, then vice presidential candidate Marcos won by a landslide in Ilocos Norte, garnering 297,853 votes although his running mate, former Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, lost in the province to Duterte’s father, then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
The campaign rally of Marcos and Duterte at the Paoay Sand Dunes was the culmination of their caravan on Wednesday, which started in the municipality of Pagudpud, passing through the towns of Bangui, Burgos, Bacarra and Laoag City.
“This homecoming is different because I didn’t come home here alone. I came home with a companion,” he told Ilocanos, referring to Duterte.
He was joined by his sister, Sen. Imee Marcos; her son, Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc; Ilocos Norte Rep. Angelo Marcos Barba; and Ilocos Norte Vice Gov. Cecilia Araneta-Marcos.
The rally ended at almost midnight with the candidates and the crowd marching to the tune of the martial law-era anthem “Bagong Lipunan.” —WITH A REPORT FROM NESTOR CORRALES