ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/30 September) – The brothers Lobregat – incumbent mayor Celso Lobregat and his younger brother Joemar – will be the candidates for Congress of the newly-formed coalition of the administration’s Liberal Party (LP) and the parties headed by both.
The coalition, which has formed a complete slate for the 2013 polls, will carry the banner of LP even as most of them are from the local chapter of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP).
The locally-based political party that forms part of the coalition is the Adelante Zamboanga Party (AZaP), which coalesced with the LDP in the last election.
Mayor Celso Lobregat heads the LDP and his younger brother, Joemar, chairs the Adelante Zamboanga Party (AZaP). Both parties coalesced in the 2010 polls with Joemar serving as campaign manger.
The LP here is chaired by 1st district Rep. Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, concurrent House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao.
Salazar, who is on her second term of office, has been chosen by the coalition to run for mayor. Lobregat, who is on his third term, will run for the post Salazar will vacate while his younger brother wil run for congressman in the second district.
The LP-LDP-AZaP coalition presented on Sunday its slate, except one, before supporters gathered at the Rigodon Hall in Patio Palmeras.
There are eight council seats in each of the two congressional districts.
“We are just finalizing some details,” the younger Lobregat said.
Salazar said that the coalition’s candidates, except those seeking re-election, have undergone the selection process.
Four councilors, including the one who bolted AZaP, are seeking re-election in the first district and also four in the second district
who are with the LP-LDP-AZaP coalition. (MindaNews)