CEBU CITY, Philippines – After the Garcia-led One Cebu party endorsed the candidacy of Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Winston Garcia is endorsing the vice presidential bid of senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
Garcia, who is running for governor with running mate Nerissa Soon Ruiz, both announced they were endorsing Cayetano on Monday, April 4.
But Winston clarified, however, that this was not yet an official endorsement from their party.
"It is our (mine and Nerissa's) personal choice to endorse Sen Alan Peter Cayetano," he said. "As for our leaders, I want them to meet with Cayetano first before One Cebu makes a decision," Garcia added.
Alan had been campaigning in Cebu, Bohol, and Dumaguete over the weekend. "I am positive after consultation with other candidates and party leaders, that they will also agree on our choice for vice president."
Last March 30, leaders of the National Unity Party (NUP) and One Cebu, in the province's 4th district endorsed the bid of Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, who has been tying with Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero in the surveys for vice president.
This was also not an official One Cebu endorsement yet, but identifies the preference of the organization's chairman. The party did not say when they would officially announce their bet for vice president.
Garcia is already including Cayetano with his promise to deliver one million votes for Duterte in Cebu. "If you're asking where the million votes will come from for the Duterte-Cayetano tandem, it will come from Santander to Daanbantayan, from Bantayan to Camotes," Garcia said. "The Cebuanos themselves will deliver the one million vote difference for Duterte-Cayetano."
One Cebu endorsed administration bet Gilbert Teodoro in 2010, who ended up losing to Liberal Party (LP) candidate Benigno Aquino III.
Thirty-three of 44 municipal mayors in Cebu are members of the LP and almost all of the mayors of Cebu's component cities.
In municipalities and congressional districts that are not LP bailiwicks, the Garcias and One Cebu or their allies are in power. – Rappler.com