OPPOSITION mayoral candidate Jose Gabriel “Pompee” La Vina said on Monday, March 25, he is not surprised why President Rodrigo Duterte did not raise the hand of Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno as a sign of endorsement during the senatorial campaign rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) at a university in the City, over the weekend.
Duterte led the campaign sortie of the senator bets under the ruling party, Sunday night, March 24, hosted by Team Okka. Moreno is the local standard bearer of the PDP-Laban but his hand was not raised by the President.
The President had earlier raised the hands of congressional candidate for the second district Alam Lim and aspiring councilors Girlie Balaba and Rhona Canoy in separate occasions.
La Vina said he met with Duterte when the latter arrived and after the culmination of the campaign rally in Cagayan de Oro.
“Nagkita mi sa President kay ako man ang nagtabo ug naghatod niya (The President and I met because I was the one who send him off),”La Vina said.
The opposition’s bet for the mayoralty post maintained that he already got the support and endorsement of the President when his hand was raised during the “Roa clan reunion” in the City.
La Vina also quoted the President as saying that he would not endorse the current mayor.
“Ingon siya (Duterte) he will never endorse Moreno kay ako man iyang kandidato,”La Vina said.
“In fact wala gani sa siya gipasaka sa stage apil si Alam si Girlie ra. That is a clear message that I’m his candidate. He was even ignored by the President. While the President is a PDP-Laban, obviously he does not like Moreno,” he added.
La Vina said he and Duterte talked more things including the President’s fight against corruption.
He also said the President will come back to Cagayan de Oro City to campaign for him.
The entire Padayon Pilipino slate in the province and city will be endorsed by the Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio who leads the allied regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).
For his part, Moreno told Sunstar Cagayan de Oro that he is part of the PDP-Laban and the activity is “res ipsa loquitur” (The thing speaks for itself).
“I wouldn’t want to engage in that. I am part of the PDP-Laban. The thing speaks for itself, kapoy kaayo di nako mo-comment (I’m tired I don’t want to comment),” Moreno said.