ZAMBOANGA CITY – Incumbent local mayor Beng Climaco remains popular among her constituents and her official Facebook page has over 133,000 people following her posts about the local government’s various infrastructure projects and programs aimed at uplifting the welfare of the people; and continues to maintain Zamboanga’s robust economy and improved peace and order situation.
Climaco, who is running for re-election next year on platform of honest, good governance and transparency, is being favored to win based on reports gathered from supporters in the city’s 98 barangays.
Despite her popularity, she is being challenged by Congressman Celso Lobregat, a traditional politician, who served many years as mayor of Zamboanga and member of the House of Representatives under the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP).
Lobregat, whose influential mother also served many years as congresswoman and mayor of Zamboanga, was a strong supporter of former senator Mar Roxas who ran and lost in the presidency in 2016 against Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
But Lobregat – who was once the richest lawmaker – switched side soon after Duterte won and joined his political party, the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). His brother, Jomar Lobregat, is also running for a congressional seat in Zamboanga. He ran in the past, but lost in the elections and returned to Manila where he is residing.
Unlike Lobregat, Climaco remains loyal to her political party, the Liberal Party, despite calls for her to shift to PDP-Laban, saying, she believes in liberalism, democracy and ideology of the LP.
And if elections are held today, or if popularity in social media is the gauge of mayoralty poll, Climaco will win hands down or landslide against Lobregat, whose official Facebook page only has over 27,000 followers as of October 12.
Climaco’s Facebook “likes” are now pegged at nearly 132,000. Just like in the elections, the popularity of a candidate is based on numbers. She is a champion for women’s and children’s rights and belongs to a respectable and modest family in Zamboanga.
The midterm elections in the country are set on May 13, 2019. (Mindanao Examiner)
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