Former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio (Photo from the Facebook page of Bongbong Marcos)
GUIGUINTO, Bulacan, Philippines — Eighteen of Bulacan’s 24 mayors have endorsed the presidential bid of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
The Bulacan mayors who signed the manifesto backing the Marcos-Duterte tandem are Ambrosio Cruz (Guiguinto), Carla Galvez-Tan (San Ildefonso), Arthur Robes (City of San Jose del Monte), Eladio Gonzales Jr. (Balagtas), Ferdinand Estrella (Baliwag), Jose Santiago Jr. (Bocaue), Vergel Meneses (Bulakan), Francis Juan (Bustos), Ricarido Silvestre (Marilao), Mary Ann Marcos (Paombong), Roderick Tiongson (San Miguel), Cipriano Violago (San Rafael), Jessie De Jesus (Calumpit), Raulito Manlapaz (Hagonoy), Edwin Santos (Obando), Anastacia Vistan (Plaridel), Russel Pleyto (Sta. Maria) and Leonardo De Leon (Angat).
The local executives said they believed the tandem would be what the country would need “to unite our people and to bounce back as a nation.”
Cruz, the president of the Bulacan Mayors League, explained that the Bulacan mayors, who are mostly members of the National Unity Party (NUP), backed Marcos and Duterte after the party’s hierarchy endorsed the tandem.
Pulilan Mayor Maritz Ochoa-Montejo of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), the reelectionist sister of former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. during the term of former late President Benigno Aquino III, was among those who did not sign the manifesto.
Mayor Marie Flores of Doña Remedios Trinidad town, while a member of NUP, told Inquirer that her municipality would remain a “VP Leni country.”
Flores, who is seeking the vice mayoral post in tandem with husband and mayoral candidate Vice Mayor Ronaldo Flores, said Doña Remedios Trinidad was the only town in Bulacan where presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo won in the 2016 vice presidential race.
Meycauayan Mayor Linabelle Ruth Villarica, wife of Rep. Henry Villarica, also did not sign the manifesto.
Mayor Villarica, while a PDP-Laban member, is reportedly backing Robredo’s presidential bid.
Reelectionist City of Malolos Mayor Gilbert Gatchalian and outgoing Norzagaray Mayor Fred Germar, who is running for sixth district congressional seat, also both NUP members, joined Gov. Daniel Fernando in supporting Robredo and her running mate Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
Fernando’s rival for the gubernatorial seat, Vice Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado and his son First District Rep. Jonathan Sy-Alvarado, who is seeking a third term in the May polls, are both PDP-Laban members supporting the Marcos Jr.-Duterte tandem.
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