CEBU CITY, Philippines — One Cebu Party has gained a new ally in the seventh district of Cebu in the person of Badian Mayor Carmencita Lumain.
Seventh district congressional bet Nelson Garcia confirmed to Cebu Daily News Digital through a text message today, March 6, that Lumain has officially pledged her support to the One Cebu slate headed by Nelson’s elder sister, third district Representative Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia, who is running for governor.
Nelson Garcia first posted a photo on Tuesday evening, March 5, showing Lumain making the One Cebu sign with seventh district Board Member Christopher Baricuatro, Representative Garcia, Lumain, vice gubernatorial bet Daphne Salimbangon and himself.
“With Board member Dong Baricuatro, Gov. Gwen Garcia , Mayor Carmen Lumain Badian Mayor, Vice Gov Daphne Salimbangon. Mayor Lumain now supports all candidates of One Cebu,” Nelson Garcia wrote as the caption of the photo.
Lumain, who is an unopposed reelectionist, filed her certificate of candidacy last year under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).
NPC is also the party listed in the certificate of candidacy of Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, who is running for governor against Gwen Garcia.
CDN Digital tried to reach Lumain to confirm her purported shift of alliance but phone calls and messages to her mobile number were left unanswered. She was also not available when CDN Digital called up the Municipal Mayor’s Office.
But as early as 2017, or barely a year after President Rodrigo Duterte took office, Lumain was also identified as among former members of Liberal Party (LP), the erstwhile dominant national party when LP stalwart and President Benigno Simeon Aquino III was in power, who have bolted the party in favor of PDP-Laban, the party that carried the presidential bid of Mr. Duterte.
READ MORE: 12 LP-allied Cebu mayors to shift alliances to PDP-Laban
Nelson Garcia said that gaining the support of Lumain is expected to significantly spike up their winning chances in the May 13 midterm elections, considering Badian’s voting population.
“Dako kaayo [ang effect that] we have now the backing of a mayor, vice mayor, and majority of all the councilors considering Badian is a vote-rich municipality,” he added.
Badian has a voting population of 26,418, the second highest in the seventh district next only to Dumanjug, which has 36,705 voters. /elb