Vice governor Agnes Magpale shows her certificate of candidacy as Cebu governor on Oct. 17, 2018. |Cebu Daily News file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines —Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, who is running for Cebu governor in the May elections, believes her clean track record in government service will win Cebuano voters’ hearts and minds in the coming elections.
“I believe that a clean track record without any scandals, graft and corruption controversies, as well as Ombudsman convictions or ongoing Sandiganbayan cases will win the hearts and minds of the Cebuano voters,” said Magpale in a text message to Cebu Daily News Digital.
Magpale cited her clean track record as her advantage against her rival for the gubernatorial race, Cebu Third District Representative Gwen Garcia, amid Garcia’s endorsement from presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Duterte-Carpio raised Garcia’s hand during the signing of the Memorandum of Alliance between the Mayor Duterte’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) and Garcia’s One Cebu, at the Panphil Frasco Gymnasiumin in Liloan town, Cebu, on Friday, March 22.
“I don’t believe the hand raising (of Garcia by Duterte-Carpio) today will stifle my campaign. I am still grateful for the support (of Mayor Duterte),” said Magpale through text message to CDN Digital on Friday, March 22.
On her being grateful, Magpale she was referring to the endorsement previously given to her by the presidential daughter on October 22, 2018 when Mandaue City officials led by Mayor Gabriel Luis “Luigi” Quisumbing signed an alliance with Mayor Duterte and her group HNP.
However it was also noted that a few hours before Magpale was endorsed by Mayor Duterte, the mayor also expressed her support for Representative Garcia during the signing of a sisterhood agreement between Liloan town and Davao City held at the Panphil Frasco gym on that day.
Back then, Duterte-Carpio said that she and her group would like to remain friends with the supporters of her father, which included both Magpale for being a friend and distant relative, and Garcia, for being the head of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Cebu.
In Magpale’s text message on March 22, she reiterated her clean track record as her advantage over her rival.
Garcia is facing graft charges at the Sandiganbayan involving the backfilling of the controversial Balili property, which Capitol bought during Garcia’s term as governor of Cebu.
“We have a very discriminating electorate here in Cebu. The team continues to remain strong and determined,” said Magpale about her team and election campaign bid./dbs