DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte welcomed and endorsed Wednesday Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential candidate Senator Mar Roxas in an impromptu motorcade and tour of the city.

"Kani atong bise-presidente. Limpio ni (He is our vice president. He is clean)," Duterte told Dabawenyos as they walked together in downtown Davao.

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Roxas personally drove Duterte's pick-up as they toured the city after arrival in the morning and checking in at the Marco Polo Hotel.

Roxas has been close to Duterte since he was a congressman. Duterte had endorsed Roxas' initial bid for president, but continued supporting him even when Roxas gave way to Senator Benigno S. Aquino III to become the LP presidential bet for the 2010 elections.

Meanwhile, close to a thousand officials of Davao del Norte province, from governor down to barangay councilors, took their oath of allegiance to the LP Wednesday.

LP national president and vice presidential bet, Senator Mar Roxas, led the oath-taking of the officials led by Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, Vice Governor Baby Suaybaguio, Tagum City Mayor Rey "Chiong" Uy and all other mayors of District 1.

Provincial board members, vice mayors, councilors, barangay chiefs and barangay councilors complete the list of new LP members in the province. Most, if not all, are former members of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party who are now pledging their support to the party of Senators Noynoy Aquino and Roxas.

Del Rosario was once head of Lakas-CMD in the Davao Region. Former vice governor Anthony del Rosario said this is also the first time that his father has joined an opposition group.

The governor was one of the original members of Lakas CMD in 1992, together with former president Fidel Ramos and former speaker Jose de Venecia.

LP provincial chair Anthony del Rosario was the man behind the massive shift of support to LP in the said province. Just few months back, the young del Rosario declared his support to Noynoy Aquino and resigned from Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

"I am overwhelmed by the support that our incumbent officials of District 1 have shown towards Noynoy, Mar and the Liberal Party. This mass oath-taking reaffirms their support for the ideals of the party and moreover for our constituents' hopes and aspirations of a brighter and better future for our country with the leaders that espouse good governance and upright moral values," the young del Rosario said.