LAPU-LAPU City’s opposition has endorsed the presidential bid of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Lapu-Lapu City Councilor Rico Amores confirmed the endorsement to SunStar Cebu on Thursday, December 9, 2021.
Amores is a member of Lapu-Lapu City’s majority bloc, Partido Derecho, which is led by former mayor and incumbent Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Paz Radaza. Radaza is running for mayor in next year’s election.
Amores, who is running for vice mayor, said his party decided to endorse Marcos and Carpio’s tandem because of their party’s alliance with the vice presidential candidate’s group, Lakas-CMD.
Carpio became chairman of Lakas-CMD following her resignation from her local party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, last November.
“Because of the fact that our mayor (Radaza) is the original chairman of Lakas-CMD in Central Visayas,” Amores added when asked about their party’s decision.
Marcos Jr.’s political party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, has also adopted and endorsed Carpio as the former’s running mate.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong ‘’ Chan said his group, Team Libre, will also support Carpio’s vice presidential bid.
Chan said, though, that their group has not decided yet who they will endorse for president.
Lapu-Lapu City’s opposition bloc is among local parties in Cebu that have already announced the candidates they are endorsing.
Last month, Cebu City’s Partido Barug announced it was supporting the presidential bid of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go with Carpio as vice president.
Though Go had said that he will withdraw from the presidential race, he has not submitted yet any official document to the Commission on Elections.
Despite having a formal coalition with Partido Barug, the Panaghiusa Party of lawyer and former Cebu City councilor Jose Daluz III announced they will be supporting the presidential bid of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Carpio for vice president.
The Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) also announced that it is supporting the presidential bid of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo.
On Wednesday, December 8, BOPK founder and former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña said he is also “inclined” to support the vice presidential bid of Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
Cebu Province’s administration bloc, One Cebu, has not formally endorsed any candidate for president and vice president but some of its top members, both members of the Garcia family, have already expressed support for different candidates.
Deputy Speaker and One Cebu secretary general Pablo John “PJ” Garcia (Cebu, 3rd) announced he is supporting Domagoso’s bid for president.
His niece, Liloan Mayor Christina Codilla-Frasco, also announced that she and her husband, Cebu Rep. Duke Frasco (Cebu, 5th), will be supporting Marcos Jr.’s presidential bid and Carpio’s vice presidential bid.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, the party leader, has not announced yet the candidates she will endorse.