ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 07 May) — Davao City Mayor and vice-presidential aspirant Sara Duterte has endorsed Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco for Representative of the 1st congressional district here.
Duterte sent a video campaign message for herself and Climaco, expressing her love for Zamboanga City, a sister city of Davao.
“Este Si Sara Duterte, ta llama con Zamboanga City, (QUE BOTA) Vice-Presidente Y Para Beng Climaco para na Congreso (This is Sara Duterte, calling on Zamboanga City (to vote for me as) Vice-President and Beng Climaco for Congress)” she said in Chavacano.
Davao and Zamboanga have been sister cities since July 15, 2021 when Duterte flew over for the formal signing ceremony for the sisterhood agreement.
“It was done to ensure mutual understanding and cooperation in the field of tourism and agriculture and trade and commerce,” Climaco said.
Duterte had earlier said, “Individually, our two cities are strong, but we are stronger when we are together.”
The two lady mayors were also together in the U.S. in 2020 for a series of lectures and meetings for the project ‘Strong Cities, Strong Partnerships: A Comprehensive Approach to Preventing Terrorism in Southeast Asia’ under the auspices of the International Visitor Leadership Program of the US Department of State.
“It was a wonderful experience to learn side by side with Mayor Inday who considers me as her big sister. We look forward to a stronger, safer Zamboanga City where children and young people are given the opportunity to chase their dreams and aspirations,” she said.
Climaco’s opponents in the local elections are first termer Councilor Khymer Olaso, once her high school student, and lawyer Wendell Sotto.
Olaso who is running under the Team Colorao, and Sotto who is with Team Dalipe, like Climaco, are campaigning for UniTeam’s vice-presidential bet Duterte.
Duterte herself has a huge following in the city as she has frequently visited Zamboanga under Climaco’s adminsistration.
Climaco herself leads a campaign for RoSa (Robredo-Sara Duterte) tandem. (Frencie Carreon, MindaNews)
