A member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) has openly said that he would support Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) vice presidential bet, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio in the upcoming polls.
This, despite the fact that the NPC has its own vice presidential candidate in Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, the party's own chairman.
“I am endorsing the candidacy of Mayor Sara for vice president. I believe in her capacity, siya ay mayor ng (she has been Mayor of) Davao City for a long time," La Union Governor Emmanuel “Pacoy” Ortega lll said Friday, Feb. 18 while waiting for Duterte-Carpio's arrival at the provincial capitol in San Fernando City.
Asked why he was backing the presidential daughter's bid in May, Ortega said: “Naipakita niya ang kanyang (She has shown her) skills and capacity as an administrator, and I believe she can expand her horizon hindi lang sa Davao kundi sa buong bansa (not just in Davao but in the entire country)."
The lady mayor, who chairs the Lakas-CMD, has spent the past few days conducting sorties in Ilocandia.
She is the running mate of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) standard-bearer, former senator Bongbong Marcos. The Marcoses hail from Ilocos Norte.
Sotto, the running mate of presidential aspirant, Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, has been a distant second to Duterte-Carpio in most pre-elections surveys.