FORMER city councilor Lourdes Candy Darimbang, the only lady challenger of Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno, has claimed that some 27 villages in the city are supporting her mayoral bid in the 2019 elections.
Darimbang said seven barangays in the first district and 20 in the second district are supporting her candidacy.
Darimbang filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) on Tuesday, October 16, under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), a newly accredited national party.
"I could say naay mga barangay nga ga-support sa ako,"she said.
Darimbang also claimed that she has the backing of President Rodrigo Duterte, being the local standard bearer of a political party that was created for the President.
"I wouldn't run for this position kung there is no assurance that I will not be supported by the President," she said.
Darimbang was prompted to challenge the re-election bid of Moreno after she broke ties with the coalition party of Padayon Pilipino and Centrist Democratic Party (CDP).
She earlier explained that the supposed alliance of PFP and the coalition party had collapsed after her intention to seek the city's second top post did not sit well with the coalition party leaders.
Darimbang said she was offered to challenge city first district representative Rolando Uy, who is seeking a third term, but she turned it down because she has decided to run for vice mayor.
"My first choice was running for vice mayor pero ang akong partido gi-endorse ko to run for mayor," Darimbang said.
The aspiring city mayor said she wanted to run for mayor because she wants to address the prevailing problems in the city which she claimed have never been solved fully by the past mayors including the present administration.
