The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper
Duterte, Pdp-laban gain more supporters
SULU’S POLITICAL leaders have renewed its strong support to President Rodrigo Duterte and vowed to continue the government’s peace and development efforts in the Muslim province where the popular leader won by a landslide in last year’s national elections.
The influential Dr Sakur “Datu Shabandar” Tan, a former Sulu gover-nor and philanthropist, led local leaders headed by Governor Tan, also for-mally joined the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
The Tans, who belongto a respected political clan, led Sulu’s mayors and other politicians in joining the PDP-Laban and were sworn in by Sen-- ate President Aquilino Pimentel III in a ceremony held at the Senate recently.
Dr Tan and his son, Governor Tan, had strongly supported Duterte’s candi-dacy and even campaigned hard in Sulu and Autono-mous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) despite political threats and intimi-dation from then then theruling Liberal Party to backup Mar Roxas who was run-ning for president.
They also led Sulu’s mayor in campaigning for Duterte. Dr Tan also ran for ARMM governor against incumbent Mujiv Hataman, but lost due to President Benigno Aquino and Roxas’ all-out support for Hataman, and alleged cheating and vote-buying to favor Liberal Party candidates in ARMM. Duterte won in ARMM.
Pimentel, the Pdplaban president, said the deadline for those who wanted to join the political party is November 30 to give them more time to choose its official candidates for the May 2019 midterm elections. Pdp-laban, he said, would come up with 12 senatorial slate before the polls.