The clamor for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to run for president in next year’s elections is getting stronger in Negros Occidental, the fourth vote-rich province in the country, with the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED) also joining the call.
In a Manifesto of Support signed by their president, Manuel Lamata, and 11 heads of various sugar associations, UNIFED, which is among the biggest sugar groups in the country, said they believe that Duterte-Carpio “possesses the qualities that a leader must have to unify the country, especially in these challenging times, and continue and improve on the gains we’ve made as a nation.”
UNIFED said they see the Davao chief executive as the candidate, who will support the interest of the sugar industry.
“We strongly believe that among the presidentiables, Mayor Sara is the candidate who will have the sugar industry’s interest at heart as her father, President Rodrigo Duterte had, by supporting and enabling the agriculture sector in achieving food self-sufficiency,” the statement said.
Lamata said the sugar industry continues to be one of the major drivers of the country’s growth by contributing over P95 billion to the nation’s coffers. “Yet, we get very little appreciation and support from economic managers that view the agricultural sector’s contribution lightly.”
He added that the threat of sugar liberalization, sugar smuggling, and lack of support for the industry’s modernization efforts are just among the problems that still beset the industry, and these were among the considerations taken on why they chose Duterte-Carpio from among the list of possible candidates for the presidential post.
Lamata recalled that it was in Davao that President Duterte empowered the industry to wage the battle against the High Fructose Corn Sugar (HFCS), “and it will be in Davao again that we will get that assurance for continued support.”
While she may be her father’s daughter, Mayor Sara has never abused this privilege and has, in fact, shown independence in her decision-making even when it is contrary to that made by the present leadership. “We are also convinced that she is the best candidate to further improve our foreign relations,” the UNIFED statement added.
Several mayors of Negros Occidental already aired their support for Duterte-Carpio in a series of meetings with the Alliance and Broadcasting Committee – Padayona Inday Sara movement, with retired P/Col. William Señoron as convenor.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson also said it would be “most ideal” for Negros Occidental to support one presidential candidate in the 2022 elections, but admitted that it is difficult to get such consensus from all public officials.
Lacson was responding to a question if Love-Negros and the United Negros Alliance will support one presidential candidate, as raised earlier by La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan, who had joined the call of other Negros mayors for Duterte-Carpio to run for president next year. – GB
