NAT’L POLITICS, LOCAL RIPPLES: Guv still mum on running mate, says it depends on national scene

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Filing of candidacies in the first week of October 2021 is fast approaching, but Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on Thursday said he has yet to decide on his vice-gubernatorial bet for the 2022 elections, citing activities in national level politics.

Defensor confirmed in his regular press conference that he has talked to three “names” to be his possible partner in his first re-election bid.

The governor declined to disclose the names as he has yet to finalize anything with them.

But he confirmed that he had talked to one of his rumored running mates, Rep. Michael Gorriceta (Iloilo, 2nd district) although he reiterated that nothing was final.

“I don’t feel free to talk about if I haven’t arranged anything with them. Usually, when you talk, make arrangements, I ask what I can say publicly. So with all due respect to the people we’ve been talking to, there’s no leeway yet, because they’re not related to the affairs of the state and of the province. If it’s about the programs and projects of the province, I won’t have a problem talking to them,” Defensor said.

Defensor said “fluidity” of politics at the national level is the main reason why he is mum on his possible running mate.

He said uncertainty in alliances by both the administration and opposition sides at the national level also affect the certainty of partnerships in the local level.

The governor is currently a member of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN) and serves as its provincial chairperson here.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who was recently nominated by PDP-LABAN for the vice-presidency, is the party’s chairperson.

“What will happen in the national level is also being considered, because in national-level politics, the national parties will also have alliances there. It can develop, and it affects us. Right now, it stops at the top, because number one, the opposition, at least those parties that are not associated with the administration, they are also not sure of the alliances and the candidates. Even the administration is not sure also,” Defensor said.

MAYORAL SUPPORT

Defensor also told the press that he has secured the support of mayors in the province, without disclosing how many.

33 of 43 mayors in the province are members of the Nacionalista Party.

PDP-LABAN only has 8 mayors, while only one 1 is a member of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

These numbers are based on the results of the 2019 elections.

The governor says that some of the mayors in other parties have committed their support for him, based on their outstanding collaborations in his current term. In exchange, he pledged to support their candidacy.

But he stopped short of fully confirming their support, saying that like the situation with his pick for vice-governor, alliances with mayors also depend on national party alliances.

“We have mayors who have signified because they are our friends since the beginning. We are working with them now. There are mayors regardless of party who committed to me that they will help us. That’s what I told them too, that I will help them. That’s regardless of party,” Defensor said.