Nene: It’s Duterte; no mayoral bet yet

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

FORMER mayor and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. yesterday went to city hall where he endorsed the presidential bid of Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

But Pimentel opted to keep mum when he was asked who among the mayoral candidates in the city he and his party, the PDP-Laban, would support next year.

Pimentel was invited by Mayor Oscar Moreno to speak during the flagaising rites at city hall before the two proceeded to Limketkai Atrium and addressed some four thousand education officials and public school teachers in time for the celebration of Teachers’ Day. After the Atrium event, the two had lunch together.

Pimentel said he was avoiding partisan politics  in Cagayan de Oro.

“I don’t want to engage in unnecessary partisan politics, locally. Ayha na sa ulahing mga adlaw when I have to make a choice,”  he said.

At the city hall gounds, Pimentel and Moreno sang “You are my sunshine,” reminiscent of the group singing they led at the Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center at the height of the campaign period in 2013.

When reporters asked if his visit to city hall was a sign that he was endorsing the reelection bid of Moreno, Pimentel said, “Bahala na kamo diha sa pag-interpret… kamo na bahala.”

But Pimentel said he and the PDP-Laban, the party which he founded, were committed to Duterte’s presidential campaign despite the Davao mayor’s recent spat with Catholic Bishops’ Conference (CBCP) of the Philippines president and Lingayen Archbishop Socrates Villegas over the politician’s cussing at Pope Francis.

Pimentel, a Roman Catholic devotee, said he did not like Duterte’s use of foul language in public and his recent remark about the Pope.

“That, probably, has to be remedied… Usahay sobra ang pamalikas, na ma-turn off ang mga tawo ni-ana,” he said.

Pimentel however said he would continue supporting Duterte because of his promise to change the country’s form of government to federal.

Pimentel said the PDP-Laban has long been calling for a change in the form of government, and among the presidential candidates, only Duterte is advocating federalism.