BARILI Mayor Julieto “Julie” Flores will support the candidacy of gubernatorial candidate and former tourism secretary Ace Durano and re-electionist Vice Governor Hilario “Junjun” Davide III in the May 2022 elections.
In an interview with SunStar Cebu on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, Flores said he had been a supportor of Davide since the latter’s stint as governor.
The mayor’s support for Durano and Davide grew even more after Pablo John “John-John” Garcia IV, the son of the late Mayor Marlon Garcia, filed his candidacy for mayor.
“If the Garcias didn’t field their nephew against me, I would have remained with them,” Flores told SunStar Cebu in Cebuano.
Flores claimed that reelectionist Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, sister of Marlon, never consulted him on John-John’s plan to run for mayor.
Flores, who was then the vice mayor, became the town’s mayor after John-John’s father died last year.
John-John was appointed by his aunt to occupy the vacant seat at the municipal council after first councilor Luisito Ponsico became the new vice mayor.
Flores claimed that some supporters of the late mayor had already shifted their loyalty to him.
“Ang uban naa na jud nato kay ang mga job order employes wala man nato gipahawa,” said Flores.
(Some are already with us since we did not terminate their employment as job order workers.)
Flores is the first mayor from Cebu Province so far to declare support for Durano and Davide’s candidacy
.
But while Flores is declaring support for Durano, Bogo City Mayor Carlo Martinez declared support for the incumbent governor.
Martinez issued his endorsement of Garcia’s candidacy when the governor visited Bogo City on Nov. 9 to inaugurate some infrastructure projects implemented by the Province there.
Martinez’s father, former Bogo City mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr., ran for governor against Garcia during the 2004 elections and lost. (IRT, ANV / JKV)