SENATOR Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) president, endorsed local candidates from Baguio City and Benguet Province who attended the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte at the Divine Word College of Bangued in Abra.
An estimated 5,000 people gathered in front of the Divine Word College, aside from other party supporters who were earlier positioned inside its gymnasium where the campaign rally of the ruling party PDP-Laban was held.
Pimentel endorsed the group of PDP-Laban Baguio contingent led by incumbent Vice Mayor Edison Bilog, while former governor Nestor Fongwan and incumbent La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda led the Benguet contingent.
After arriving in Abra, Duterte and his party immediately proceeded to the Divine Word College to lead the political rally for PDP-Laban senatorial candidates together with the local candidates.
Duterte expressed hope that the next presidential debates organized by TV stations would be more educated and give candidates more time to speak, otherwise it will just be a waste of money.
Recalling his experience as a presidential candidate in 2016, Duterte said they were only given a limited time to talk and failed to articulate themselves completely.
“I hope that the next presidential debates in the coming years would be a more educated one, give all the time to the candidates to expound and talk about the issues, the one to bring to the people,” Duterte said.
Duterte also trumpeted the achievements under his administration, stressing that he only failed to address the traffic situation on Edsa because Congress refused to grant his request for emergency powers.
Cellular communication facilities were jammed during the visit of the President and his party while participants inside the gymnasium were told to refrain from taking photos and videos using their phones.
In previous elections, Bangued was considered as an area of concern by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) due to its history of election-related violence.
Duterte campaigned for Pimentel, former aide Bong Go, former PNP chief of police Ronald de la Rosa, former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino and Maguindanao Representative Zajid Mangudadatu.
The visit of the President in the Province was facilitated by Dolores, Abra Mayor Roberto Seares Jr. who was celebrating his birthday. (With a report from PNA)