LUMBAN, Laguna—A ranking official of President Benigno Aquino III’s Liberal Party bolted the ruling party and declared his support for the presidential bid of Senator Grace Poe during a mini-political rally here on Friday.
Returning Laguna Rep. Edgar San Luis went up the stage set up near the church and introduced Poe to his constituents.
San Luis was the LP’s regional chairman in Southern Tagalog before he severed his ties with the administration in October 2015.
However, San Luis did not endorse Poe’s running mate Senator Francis Escudero.
Poe was joined in her campaign sortie in Laguna by Senators Lorna Kapunan, Miguel Zubiri, Neil Colmenares and Edu Manzano. Another senatorial canidate, Roman Romulo, was represented by his wife, former Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Romulo.
After the Lumban rally, Poe proceeded to Pagsanjan and paid a courtesy call on former Laguna Gov. Emilio Ramon Ejercito and his wife, Lumban Mayor Maite Ejercito.
While the dismissed governor has remained mum about his support for Poe, sources said Ejercito might soon follow the footsteps of his uncle, former president—and now Manila City Mayor Erap Estrada.
During his reelection bid at Liwasang Bonifacio on Monday, Estrada announced his support for Poe, his goddaughter.
Ejercito, who was disqualified for overspending in the 2013 elections, is running for governor in the May elections.
“The announcement of his support needs timing. But right now, [former] governor Ejercito [a stalwart of the United Nationalist Alliance like Estrada] will support Senator Grace for the presidency along with his wife [Pagsanjan Mayor Maita Ejercito],” the source said.
Poe said she had not received any information of support from the couple as of the moment.
Poe’s father, the late action king Fernando Poe Jr., had a landslide win in Laguna during the bitter 2004 presidential elections won by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now a second-term Pampanga lawmaker who is running unopposed in the coming elections.
Pressed again if the courtesy call was meant to seal the support of the Ejercitos, Poe said her political activities here and in the towns of Sta. Cruz, Pagsanjan and Siniloan were arranged to visit the relatives of her husband Niel Llamanzares, who is from Lumban.