Samsam Gullas
REP. Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas of Cebu’s first district reiterated that the Gullas-led Alayon Party and the Gullases are still supporting Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Mar Roxas.
In a text message to Cebu Daily News, Gullas said the rumors circulating that they are going to support Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte are just rumors.
“We are 100 percent supporting Mar Roxas . . . I committed to Sec. Mar when he was at only four percent and kami, with all my mayors, continue to support him now when we are entering the home stretch,” he said.
While Duterte is surging in Cebu, Gullas said they are still “confident that with all the barangay captains, mayors, congressmen and Gov. Junjun supporting Sec. Mar, he will come out victorious in Cebu.”
The Gullas-led Alayon Party expressed support to Roxas in his sortie last week in Naga City where they had a hand-raising with all their candidates in the first district.
The Duterte camp said there are no talks between the Gullases about the possibility of them transferring support to their candidate.
Maribojoc town Mayor Leoncio Evasco Jr., who is also Duterte’s chief campaign strategist, said there are no talks at their level.
Peter Lavina, Duterte’s spokesperson, said he is not privy to any negotiation.
However, he said “there are plenty of groups supporting Duterte and any one of them might be in contact with the Gullases or other big and influential clans.”
The Garcia-led One Cebu Party announced its support for Duterte and promised to deliver one million votes for him earlier this month.
Duterte, in an interview with the media on Thursday afternoon in Lapu-Lapu City, said the million votes is a “very tall order. ”
“We would never know until we’re there. I’d rather keep an open mind about the figures. There’s always the imponderable . . . I’d rather take it in stride and continue to campaign and hope that I’ll make it,” Duterte said.