ILOILO City – Today’s two separate mass oath-taking ceremonies of Iloilo barangay officials – one in the morning and the other in the afternoon – are being viewed as a pre-election show of force of gubernatorial aspirants Cong. Arthur Defensor Jr. of the 3rd District and Cong. Ferjenel Biron of the 4th District.
The morning oath-taking will be at the Iloilo Convention Center in Mandurriao district. It will be attended by barangay captains from the 1st and 3rd Districts plus barangay captains from Iloilo City and Guimaras, said Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, secretary general of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) of President Rodrigo Duterte, will be the inducting officer.
The afternoon oath-taking, on the other hand, will be at the gymnasium of the University of San Agustin in the City Proper. Alvarez will also administer the office of office.
Expected to attend the afternoon event are barangay captains, barangay councilmen, Sangguniang Kabataan chairmen and councilors from the 4th and 5th Districts of Iloilo.
While Provincial Administrator Raul Banias estimated the number of oath-takers in the morning event to be around 1,500, Biron said the afternoon oath-taking will have between 8,000 to 10,000 participants including those from the 2nd District.
Biron is affiliated with the Nacionalista Party which has an alliance with PDP-Laban. Congressman Defensor, on the other hand, belongs to the President’s political party.
Helping Defensor organize this morning’s mass oath-taking are 1st District’s Cong. Richard Garin, Guimaras’ Cong. Lucille Nava and Iloilo City’s Cong. Jerry Treñas.
Biron, on the other hand, has the backing of 5th District’s Cong. Raul Tupas. He also claims to have the support of 2nd District’s Cong. Arcadio Gorriceta.
Governor Defensor said some barangay officials from the 4th and 5th districts could be attending the morning oath-taking, too./PN
