Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) legend Alvin V. Patrimonio, actress-singer Arci Muñoz, and veteran politicians Alma Moreno and Teri Onor, who will be gunning for local posts, have joined Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats’ (Lakas-CMD) in preparation for the May 9, 2022 polls.

Lakas-CMD President and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Thursday, September 30, physically administered the oath to Patrimonio as Lakas-CMD member in his office at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City.

“I thank House Majority Leader Martin and the Lakas-CMD for giving us home in the coming election. Rest assured that we are going to carry the mission of the party, which is to serve our people,” Patrimonio said.

Patrimonio and Muñoz will be running for mayor and councilor, respectively, of Cainta, Rizal.

Pey Velasco, Lakas-CMD executive director, signed their Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA).

“We consider these dedicated public servants as assets of Lakas-CMD. Their decision to join the party is not just a proof of their confidence in us but also of the party’s clean and efficient record of public service,” said Romualdez.

“Knowing that they are onboard makes the party and all its members and officials more inspired to keep working hard,” he added.

“We are equally grateful for our new members from Cainta, Parañaque City, Abucay and Samal in Bataan, and Cotabato, Sarangani and Cavite provinces who also took their oath. We expect to get more support in the coming months as we grow our force for the crucial May 2022 elections,” Romualdez further said.

Under the Lakas-CMD ticket of Patrimonio, the team manager for the Magnolia Hotshots and four-time PBA MVP, Muñoz, Gian Carlo Cruz, Romina Cassandra Valencia will be running for councilors in Cainta, Rizal.

Cruz and Valencia were also sworn in by Romualdez as Lakas-CMD members.

In the case of Muñoz, she submitted her oath of membership to Lakas-CMD.

Moreno who will run for councilor of Parañaque City submitted her oath of membership to Velasco, and Onor (Dexter B. Dominguez) who will run for vice mayor of Abucay, Bataan took his oath before Romualdez via Zoom last Tuesday.

Moreno, Venesa Moreno Lacsamana in real life, is a veteran actress and a Lakas-CMD returnee. She was the first female National President of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) in 2012 where she also served as National Secretary-General and National Executive Vice-President.

Onor, a popular comedian, had served as vice mayor of his hometown, the Municipality of Abucay and later as three-termer provincial board member of the Bataan Province. He will attempt to reclaim his vice mayoralty post next year.

Meanwhile, Romualdez also administered the oaths of Franz William Ernest Belgica who will run for councilor in San Juan City, and 54 other local officials via Zoom from the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Sorsogon, Davao Occidental, Occidental Mindoro, Cagayan, Cavite and Valenzuela City as Lakas-CMD members. (Melvin Sarangay)