THERE is still a month more to go before the campaign period for the local elections officially starts, but President Rodrigo Duterte has already endorsed PDP-Laban's allied local candidates.
During the PDP-Laban campaign rally last Sunday, February 24, held at Plaza Independencia, Duterte kicked off his show of support by raising the hands of gubernatorial candidate Representative Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu, third district) and her running mate, Daphne Salimbangon.
In his speech, Duterte said he is supporting Garcia the same way that the latter supported his presidential bid in 2016.
“Grupo mi. Si Gwen ako gyud nang suportahan,” he said.
Aside from Garcia and Salimbangon, Duterte also endorsed Representative Jonas Cortes (Cebu, sixth district) and Provincial Board Member Glenn Bercede, who are running for mayor and vice mayor of Mandaue City, respectively.
He also endorsed Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas and his grandson, Representative Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas (Cebu, First District), and other local candidates allied with PDP, Allied One Cebu, Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats, and the Nacionalista Party.
Aside from the local candidates of PDP-Laban, the President also raised the hands of the party’s five core slate for Senate dubbed as “MaBaGoKoTo," which stands for Maguindanao Representative Zajid Mangudadatu, former Bureau of Corrections and Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, reelectionist Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and former presidential adviser and Metro Manila Development Authority chief Francis Tolentino.
Duterte also endorsed his guest senatorial candidates Senator JV Ejercito, Taguig City Representative Pia Cayetano, folk singer Freddie Aguilar, former Local Government secretary Raffy Alunan, and Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos.
The activity, which gathered thousands of supporters from all over Cebu, ended just a few minutes before midnight.