While the local party Abe Kapampangan has yet to declare support for any national political party, Pamintuan, as well as other party members, gave hints on who they plan to support for president in next year’s synchronized polls.
In his speech, Pamintuan, who was one of the founders of Abe Kapampangan for the 2013 elections, cited only Duterte among the presidentiables.
While Duterte earlier declared he would not run for president, he and Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano were reported to have met in Davao City last Tuesday reportedly for a team up. Cayetano declared in Davao City his intention to run for vice president, without saying who would be his presidential candidate.
Vowing strengthened campaign against criminality, Pamintuan lauded Duterte for his “political will” in making Davao City peaceful. “But we will not shoot people except perhaps criminals, those riding in tandem,” Pamintuan said, in apparent mimic of Duterte who has been known to threaten to shoot dead criminals in his city.
Last February, Pamintuan and Duterte, who was visiting Angeles, signed a memorandum of agreement on the “sisterhood” of their cities to “nurture and encourage cooperation between the two local governments and their constituents.”
“Government sans boundaries – this is the goal that Mayor Duterte and I have in mind upon entering this agreement.
Both our passions to better serve the people’s welfare will tremendously benefit both Angeles and Davao,” Pamintuan said during the signing of the agreement.
A total of 167 top barangay leaders from almost all of Angeles’ 33 barangays attended the Abe Kapampangan general assembly where lawyer Bryan Nepomuceno was also nominated vice mayoral candidate, along with 10 candidates for councilors.
But Abe Kapampangan President Alex Cauguiran said his party still has to decide on which national political party to support in next year’s elections. “We are still open,” he said.
A ranking member of the party, who asked not to be named for lack of authorization to talk about the issue, said he personally preferred to support Duterte because “he doesn’t have much political attachments.”
Angeles, a first class chartered city, has a population of almost 500,000 and can deliver some 250,000 votes.
Abe Kapampangan was founded in time for the 2013 elections as the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino or Kampi party established by the camp of former Pres. Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, dissolved after it was stricken off in the Lakas-CMD party coalition in 2012.
During his visit to Angeles last February, Duterte was also hosted by the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) President-CEO Arthur Tugade who invited him to speak before members of the Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA). Leaflets urging Duterte to run for president were distributed during the affair.
