- Advertisement -

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .

- Advertisement -

A SPONSORED video post on Facebook has resulted in speculations that the social media director of President Duterte’s successful 2016 election campaign is planning on running for public office in the city.

What sparked the speculations was the sponsored and boosted video about Jose Gabriel “Pompee” la Viña, now an undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture, that was given the caption: “Pompee la Viña Dutertista • Lumad na Kagay-anon Batok sa Korapsyon.”

La Viña admitted that he has been prodded by his his friends to run for mayor of the city, but he said he brushed it aside because he has no capacity to launch a mayoral campaign.

He told the Gold Star Daily that he has no political machinery in the city which would make it very difficult for him to challenge likely reelectionist Mayor Oscar Moreno.

La Viña said he was thankful for the social media posts about him but added that he has yet to watch them on social media.

He also ruled out the possibility of him seeking public office in the city, explaining that he was needed by Office of the President.

La Viña hails from Cagayan de Oro where his mother Lourdes served as a city councilor. His maternal grandfather Silvino Maestrado was a former congressman. He and lawyer-academic Antonio la Viña, a former dean of the Ateneo School of Government, are siblings.

The undersecretary directed the 2016 social media campaign of the then presidential candidate Duterte who subsequently named him as a commissioner at the Social Security System until early 2018. Rappler reported that la Viña’s appointment in the SSS was not renewed after he allegedly asked a budget of P26 million for a social media show, accreditation for seven brokers to handle SSS investments, and after a smear campaign against four SSS officials “who crossed his path.” In less than six months or just this June, la Viña was moved by Duterte from the tourism department where he also briefly served as undersecretary to the agriculture department.

In another development, the Darimbangs are mobilizing ahead of the filing of certificates of candidacy this month.

Losing 1st District congressional candidate Lourdes “Candy” Darimbang said she has opted not to announce what position she would be seeking in next year’s mid-term elections until the filing of candidacy certificates this month.

Former councilor Darimbang and her husband Mandangan, a former regional director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, are leaders of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas in the region and city which has started forging political alliances with other political groups such as the Hugpong Federalismo Movement headed here by lawyer Gil Banaag and Eldie Rotoras.

She said their party is on the process of finalizing their plans in the city along with allied groups.

Darimbang ran for a congressional seat in the city’s 1st District in the 2016 elections but lost to Rep. Rolando Uy. She has a pending election protest against Uy before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.

Disclaimer

Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.

- Advertisement -