ILOILO – Mayor Niel “Beng” Tupas III of the municipality of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo has agreed to be the running mate of Cong. Arthur Defensor Jr., candidate for governor of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
Tupas took his oath as member of PDP-Laban yesterday afternoon before Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III at the Senate.
Pimentel is the PDP-Laban president.
Tupas, who used to be a Liberal Party member, was accompanied by Defensor during the oath-taking.
Defensor asked Tupas – a three-term mayor wrapping up his last consecutive term – to be his vice gubernatorial candidate only last week.
A “powerhouse tandem” was how Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. described the team-up.
While the Defensors hold political sway in the 3rd District, the Tupases are the acknowledged political kingpins in the 5th District.
Tupas is a son of the late governor Niel Tupas Sr. and brother of 5th District congressman Raul Tupas. The Defensors sought him out after the Garin family of the 1st District declined a similar offer.
The Garins opted to support the gubernatorial bid of Cong. Ferjenel Biron of the 4th District. One of them would be Biron’s running mate.
Tupas appeared unfazed that he would be running against one of the Garins, a politically influential family in the 1st District.
“Last na lang naton ina tan-awon kon sin-o ang aton mangin kasumpong,” said Tupas.
The 2019 midterm elections would be the second time for a Tupas and a Garin to clash for the province’s second highest elective post.
In the 2016 elections, then Guimbal mayor Christine Garin ran for vice governor against then congressman Niel Tupas Jr. Garin won.
Niel Jr. is the eldest among the children of the late governor Niel Tupas Sr.
In a recent interview, Vice Gov. Christine Garin said she won’t seek reelection./PN
