Former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) has no mayoralty candidate yet in Manila, its president, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, said on Wednesday.
But Pimentel noted that former senator and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim had already sworn-in as member of President Rodrigo Duterte’s political party.
“Wala pang manok pero ito fact lang, nag-oath na sa party si former Mayor Lim. Nag-oath na sya sa PDP-Laban pero hindi ko sinasabing sya na mismo ang manok, wala pa. We will fix that in due time,” Pimentel said during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.
(We still don’t have a contender but here’s a fact, former Mayor Lim already took his oath as PDP-Laban member, but still I am not saying he is already our contender, there is still none. We will fix that in due time.)
The PDP-Laban president said they would still have to consult their local partymates before finalizing their decision.
“May process din kami we also have to consult our members sa baba,” he said.
Lim reportedly confirmed his plan to run as Manila mayor in the 2019 polls last February.
Manila Mayor and Former President Joseph Estrada defeated Lim twice during the 2013 and 2016 mayoral contests.
Last February, Estrada also announced his plan to seek a third and final term in Manila for the 2019 elections.
Aside from Lim, the 80-year-old incumbent mayor said he might be pitted against former Senator Manuel Villar and former Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno. However, no confirmations yet coming from the camp of Villar and Moreno. /jpv
READ: Erap eyes 3rd term as mayor, sees Isko, Lim, Villar as rivals