The once powerful Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP) will support only five local candidates in Northern Mindanao out of 14,658 candidates vying for governors, vice governors, provincial board members, mayors, vice mayors, and councilor positions in the mid-term polls on May 12.
This is a stark contrast to the 2019 mid-term elections, when many candidates sought to join the administration party of then-President Rodrigo Duterte, who now faces charges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. By the 2022 elections, the PDP had split into two factions.
Senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez stated that the PDP is backing former Iligan City Mayor Franklin Quijano for mayor of Iligan City and former Phividec Estate Administrator Pompee Laviña, who is running again for mayor of Cagayan de Oro after losing in 2022. Quijano, a long-time Duterte ally, served as mayor for two terms and later chaired the National Commission of Senior Citizens, while Laviña was Duterte’s former social media director.
Rodriguez added that the party is also supporting El Salvador Mayor Mark William Tan, incumbent Councilor Joyleen Mercedes Balaba—a long-time Duterte friend running for her third term in Cagayan de Oro—and lawyer Bagani Llesis, who is running for governor of Bukidnon. However, Balaba clarified that the PDP is not endorsing Laviña since he is not a party member.
Rodriguez attributed the party’s decline to the rift between the Dutertes and Marcoses. The PDP leadership has chosen to endorse only nine senatorial candidates: reelectionists Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa, singer-lawyer Jimmy Bondoc, lawyers Raul Lambino and Jayvee Hinlo, actor Philip Salvador, Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, and himself. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
