Rep. Ma. Lourdes Arroyo and four mayors of the fifth district of Negros Occidental are supporting the tandem of presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice presidential aspirant Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Two other mayors of the fifth district have yet to announce whom they are supporting.
Arroyo, in an interview Friday, December 10, said being a member of the Lakas-CMD she is supporting the candidates of her party.
Her sister-in-law, former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was instrumental in forming the Marcos-Carpio tandem.
Arroyo said she will campaign for Marcos and Carpio in the fifth district. Her candidates are expected to visit Negros Occidental in January depending on the COVID-19 pandemic, Arroyo said.
She hopes and thinks the six mayors of the fifth district will support her candidates, too, Arroyo said.
Mayors Rhumyla Mangilimutan of La Castellana, Ella Celestina Yulo of Moises Padilla, Nadie Arceo of Hinigaran and Raymund Tongson of Himamaylan City said they are supporting the Marcos-Carpio tandem.
Tongson is in charge of the Marcos volunteers for the whole Visayas, Mangilimutan added.
Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, who earlier said he is likely to support Marcos for president, is meeting with some mayors on Saturday, December 11, Mangilimutan said.
Isabela Mayor Irene Montilla, who is a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, said she has no candidates for president and vice president yet. She is waiting for the NPC to let them know who of the candidates they will support, Montilla said.
Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol said he could not say whom he is supporting. They have not met yet to discuss the matter, he said.*