DAVAO CITY -- Lay leaders of the Diocese of Kidapawan have endorsed vice governor Emmylou ‘Lala’ Taliño-Mendoza as their candidate for governor in the Province of Cotabato.
Composed of at least 108 lay leaders representing at least 18 parishes in the diocese, the group issued a statement of support endorsing Mendoza as their gubernatorial bet based on what they call as ‘10 Characteristics of a Righteous Leader.’
“Ngayong malapit na naman ang eleksyon, ito pa rin ang tanong ng marami sa atin. Madalas nating marinig sa telebisyon, radio o dyaryo ang pauli-ulit na paalala na tayo ay bumoto ng tama at pumili ng karapat-dapat,” read the statement entitled ‘Gabay sa Tamang Pagpili ng Kandidato.’
The statement emphasized a 10-point guide with corresponding bible verses in choosing the candidates in the May 9 local and national elections.
The 10 characteristics in the guide that a candidate must possess are the following: God fearing, compassion and love for the country, capacity to lead, very good in managing the family, integrity, hardworking, righteous, not greedy, fulfills promises and not biased.
According to the lay leaders, the future of every family as well as the future of the nation depends on the vote of the people.
“We need to be very critical and must have an honest conscience to be able to responsibly choose the right name to be written on the ballot. Don’t waste your vote!” they emphasized.
Vice governor Mendoza said she is grateful and mindful of everyone’s trust and support. “Be reminded that public office is a public trust. And to be God fearing at all times,” she said.
Mendoza, who was a former three-term governor, is running against incumbent first-term governor Nancy Catamco, a former three-term representative of the province’s second district.
The vice governor is running under Marcos-Duterte UniTeam ticket while the incumbent governor is under the administration's PDP-Laban.
Before she was elected governor in 2010, Mendoza started her political career as Sangguniang Kabataan chair in her hometown of Carmen before she earned her seat as provincial board member in 1998.
In 2001, she was elected representative of Cotabato’s First District until 2010. She then ran and won as governor against a formidable foe and seasoned politician Manny Piñol.