By: Carla P. Gomez - Correspondent / @carlagomezINQInquirer Visayas / 05:28 PM October 05, 2017

VICTORIAS CITY, Negros Occidental—Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Thursday rallied their forces to support President Rodrigo Duterte amid what he called moves to derail the administration’s efforts to bring about change.

The PDP-Laban gathering at Victorias Coliseum drew hundreds of once supporters of Mar Roxas and now admirers of President Duterte. —CARLA P. GOMEZ

Alvarez also called on supporters to back the senatorial candidates of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in 2019, which would include Representatives Alfredo Abelardo Benitez of Negros Occidental and Geraldine Roman of Bataan to ensure that the ruling party would dominate the Upper Chamber.

Alvarez was here to lead the mass oath-taking of new PDP-Laban members in Negros Occidental, a province that used to be dominated by the once ruling Liberal Party and where LP standard bearer Mar Roxas won during the presidential elections.

At least 10,000 community leaders took their oath before Alvarez at the Victorias Coliseum in Victorias City about 10 a.m. on Thursday and at past noon, it was the turn of 4,000 leaders at the University of Negros Occidental–Recoletos in Bacolod.

They would be tapped to push the campaign for a federal form of government that will go full swing next year, said PDP Laban Negros Occidental secretary general Yves Akol.

Two local political groups – United Negros Alliance led by Gov. Alfredo Marañon and Love Negros led by Benitez, have already shifted to PDP-Laban.

During his speech at Victorias Coliseum, the Speaker said the Duterte administration has been under attack by those “who cannot accept defeat” and derail the President’s efforts to fulfill his promise to effect change in the country.

“We will not allow them to succeed. We will do everything to deliver the promises made by the President during his campaign,” said Alvarez.

“He (Mr. Duterte) promised genuine reforms, we will deliver them come hell or high waters,” he said, adding that they would not take sitting down these plots to oust the President.

Alvarez pointed out that 180 legislative measures had been passed at the House of Representatives but less than 10 had been acted upon by the Senate where there were opposition senators.

“In 2019 I am asking you, if you fully support the President, support the candidates of PDP-Laban for the Senate,” he said, with a 12-0 vote.

Among the senatorial candidates were Benitez, the third richest man in the House, Roman, the first transgender woman elected to Congress.

But Benitez said he had not fully decided whether to run for senator or not since he was still getting the pulse of the people by going around the country.

Roman, who ran under LP, said she shifted to PDP-Laban because of its advocacy to change the form of government into federalism to bring progress to the rest of the Philippines, instead of having a highly centralized government with all the progress and development concentrated in Metro Manila.

Roman also cited the party’s commitment to support the President’s fight versus drugs and crime in the country that must be addressed for the country to further grow. /jpv