Surprise endorsement: Cebu gov backs Kiko Pangilinan for senator

BIG BOOST Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia declares her support for senatorial candidate Francis Pangilinan, making him the only one outside the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate to get her endorsement. —Photo from Kiko Pangilinan Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — With just days to go before the May 12 elections, former Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan’s comeback bid has gotten a much-needed boost from Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, whose political machinery and influence command the province’s 3.4 million votes.

During Pangilinan’s visit to Cebu for a sortie on May 6, Garcia expressed her support for the senatorial candidate who is running under the opposition Liberal Party, saying her decision was rooted in their long-standing friendship.

“He really went out of his way to greet me and to say, ‘Hello, how are you, give my regards to [your brother] Pablo John.’ I was so touched by that gesture,” Garcia said during a gathering of barangay chairs and mayors from the province’s fifth and sixth districts. “This really shows you what kind of person he is.”

READ: Bam Aquino, Kiko Pangilinan build LGU base as polls near

“Constancy and consistency, that is the mark of true friendship. That is the mark of a true person,” she added.

Pangilinan, who is running on an agricultural platform, thanked Garcia and said that “while we don’t have a strong political machinery, we’re hoping that we can count on you as our machinery, with your help and support.”

Garcia’s endorsement came as a surprise, as it makes Pangilinan the only non-Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial aspirant to get her backing.

Up to voters

Her political party, 1-Cebu, has endorsed all but one of the administration coalition’s 11 contenders for the Senate.

“I already said that 1-Cebu may support only nine or 10 [senatorial candidates], and you will know later who is the 11th,” Garcia said, referring to Pangilinan. “The 12th is open; you can decide [who to vote for].”

The endorsement of Garcia, who has defied a six-month suspension order from the Office of the Ombudsman over a permit issued to a construction firm without an environmental clearance, is a big boost for any candidate.

In the 2022 national elections, the province’s leaders, including Garcia, backed the “UniTeam” tandem of then former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, delivering a landslide win for them in Cebu.

In the past three months, Pangilinan and fellow opposition candidate Paolo Benigno Aquino IV have received the support of administration-allied government officials, which could bolster their chances of making it into the “Magic 12” this May 12. /cb