UniTeam vice presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte on Tuesday met with supporters and local officials in Panay Island and urged then to embrace the call for unity that she and her running mate, former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has been espousing.
To ensure the country’s economic recovery, Duterte said now is the time for the people to unite as the entire world has been battling one of the most dangerous challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Duterte, chairperson of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) and Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), thanked the parallel groups supporting the BBM-Sara Uniteam Alliance during the meet-and-greet Tuesday at the Grand Xing Imperial Hotel in Iloilo City.
The groups include Ituloy ang Pagbabago Movement (IPM) Iloilo Chapter, Sara Duterte Supporters, Hugpong Ilonggo sa Pagbabago, Ilonggo for Sara Duterte, BBM Youth Iloilo Chapter, Panay Movers for BBM/Sara, R-6 Alliance, Dagan Day Sara DDS Youth Iloilo Chapter, Ilonggo Ako Duterte Ako at Millennials 4 Marcos & Sara;
Curator and President of Museo Iloilo (BBM-SARA Supporter), Marcos-Sara Duterte Alliance, Sara 2022, United Ilonggo for BBM & Sara, Iloilo City Loop Alliance Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association, Sara Duterte for Vice President Movement, BBM Iloilo City, and OTON for SARA.
It was the first visit of Duterte to Iloilo, a part of Panay that includes Aklan, Antique, and Capiz provinces, after filing her certificate of candidacy (COC) last October as vice presidential aspirant of Lakas-CMD.
Duterte held a short meeting with Aklan Gov. Florencio “Joeben” Miraflores, a political bigwig in the region and stalwart of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
She also met with the Philippine League of Councilors (PCL) of Iloilo at the Iloilo Convention Center here upon the invitation of Councilors Ramon “Monsok” Sullano (Sta. Barbara) and Precious Grace Panizales (San Enrique), president and secretary general, respectively, of PCL Iloilo.
While in Iloilo City, Duterte also met with Panay Island’s League of Mayors at Hotel del Rio here.
The event was organized by Passi City (Iloilo) Vice Mayor Jesry Palmares, provincial chairman of Lakas-CMD.
Among those who attended the event were Miraflores, Reps. Braeden John Biron (4th District of Iloilo, Nacionalista Party), Janette Garin (1st District of Iloilo, NP), Mike Gorriceta (2nd District of Iloilo, NP), and returning Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron, Iloilo provincial chairman of NP.
Duterte was also scheduled to join the League of Vice Mayors of Panay Island during a meet-and-greet at the Spring Palace Restaurant in Smallville Complex late Tuesday.
During her short speech with parallel groups, Duterte also named her six other senatorial aspirants — Harry Roque, Jinggoy Estrada, Mark Villar, Gibo Teodoro, Herbert Bautista and Loren Legarda.
“Mayroon po akong mga kaibigang [tumatakbong] senador, wala pa pong senatorial slate ang UniTeam dahil hindi pa po nag-a-announce si Bongbong Marcos. Pero mayroon po akong mga kaibigang senador na dala-dala ko na sila. Dahil kaibigan ko naman sila, gusto ko na silang i-introduce sa inyo,” Duterte said as she mentioned the senatoriables.
Duterte reiterated the names of her senatorial aspirants during the meet-and-greet with Panay Island’s League of Mayors, where she mentioned President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte as her number one senatorial candidate.
However, the elder Duterte on Tuesday withdrew his candidacy for senator, a few hours after longtime aide Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go – who had been hoping to be Sara’s running mate with her father’s blessing – officially pulled out his presidential candidacy (see story on A1 – Editors).
Earlier, the Lakas-CMD said President Duterte “is the top and still the only senator candidate in the list of Mayor Sara and Lakas-CMD.”