The administration party’s standard-bearer Mar Roxas, the former Interior Secretary admitted during an interview with the media in Guimaras that he lost a key ally in Muslim Mindanao–LP stalwart and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Pangalian Balindong right after Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles revealed in a video that the LP stalwart decided to support Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City.
Mar Roxas and Liberal Party’s ally Rep. Balindong became the latest defection of LP members to the camp of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Aside from Balindong, his former political rival Benasing Macarambon also supported the Davao City mayor’s candidacy for President based upon the viral video posted by Nograles.
In a viral video posted by Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, Balindong said his entire clan will support Mayor Duterte, who he thinks is the best hope for unity. Rep. Balindong is one of the advocates of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
As part of Mar Roxas response to the latest depiction of support from his ally in Mindanao, Mar Roxas was quoted as saying “Nauunawaan ko yung kilos ni Cong. Balindong. Pinili ng partido ng Daang Matuwid ang kanyang katunggali so natural dun siya sa kabila. Ganun lang yun…This simply has to do with the local politics at nauunawaan rin natin iyon,” he said.
The former DILG secretary is not the only presidential candidates who lost some of their supporters to Mayor Rody Duterte, in the past few days, Vice President Jejomar Binay also lost the support of the influential One Cebu political party in the country’s richest vote-province, Cebu City when the Garcia clan of Cebu decided to support Mayor Duterte instead of VP Binay.