PDP to support Pompee La Vina’s CDO mayoral candidacy, senatorial bet Atty. Vic Rodriguez announces

IT will be former Phividec administrator Gabriel “Pompee” La Vina who will be supported by Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP) as mayoral candidate in Cagayan de Oro City this May, ending weeks of speculation.
This was announced Saturday (April 5) during a local press conference by former executive secretary Atty. Vic Rodriguez, one of the nine senatorial bets of PDP.
Rodriguez also announced during the presscon that he and his fellow candidates will hold their local proclamation rally on April 14 at a still unspecified venue.
They are reelectionist Sens. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, outgoing Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, lawyers Jimmy Bondoc, Raul Lambino and Jayvee Hinlo, pastor Apollo Quiboloy and actor Phillip Salvador.
Along with La Vina, PDP will also be supporting the candidacy of second district reelectionist Councilor Joyleen Mercedes “Girlie” Balaba.
In an earlier interview, Balaba has been firm though to support reelectionist Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy and all his slate.
Uy is running under Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the administration party of President Marcos, PDP’s staunchest opponent.
It was unclear how PDP arrived its decision since in November last year, La Vina had filed his candidacy under Lakas-CMD, substituting lawyer Florentino Dumlao who backed out.
But in recent weeks, La Vina has been seen attending gatherings protesting the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte who is the current chairman of PDP.
As of presstime, it is unclear yet if these actions had influenced PDP’s decision.
This will be La Vina’s third attempt at Cagayan de Oro City mayorship.
In 2019, he ran and lost under then reelectionist Mayor Oscar Moreno and again in 2022 against Uy.
This time, it will be a three-cornered fight as Moreno is also challenging Uy’s reelection.
So it will be a rematch between La Vina and Moreno; and a separate deja vu rematch between La Vina and Uy – now with all three candidates in the fray.
Only this time, La Vina is completely stripped of a slate.
In a remarkable twist seen only in Philippine politics, La Vina’s erstwhile local backer PaDayon Pilipino is throwing a complete slate side by side with Moreno.