VICE GOVERNOR AGNES MAGPALE does not consider Cebu being a political free zone as a problem.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was in Cebu last Monday and told the public she is neither endorsing her relative, Magpale, and Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district) for governor.

Duterte-Carpio is the chairperson of the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

Magpale said the president’s daughter already informed her that she will not be meddling in Cebu’s politics.

Duterte-Carpio wants to leave it to the Cebuanos to vote for their governor.

Garcia, for her part, is glad that is the case.

“I am thankful to Mayor Sara for choosing to remain neutral in Cebu and clarifying that there is no alliance between Hugpong ng Pagbabago and Bakud,” Garcia told SunStar Cebu in a text message. “This is contrary to earlier claims of my opponent declaring that she was Mayor Sara’s candidate for governor and an alliance had already been forged between Hugpong and Bakud.”

“I never said it was Sara who asked me to run,” said Magpale.

The vice governor also said she respects the decision of the Gullases, the ruling family of the 1st district, to support the gubernatorial bid of Garcia.

Magpale said that aside from the 5th district, where the ruling party is her family’s Bakud (Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya), she also has the support of some mayors and other officials from the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th districts, leaving out the 3rd district, a known “Garcia country.” (HBL)