House Speaker urged to run in 2010 Davao City mayoralty race

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Village leaders in the southern Mindanao city of Davao said there is a strong clamor for House Speaker Prospero Nograles to run for mayor in next year’s polls.

Village chieftain Rommel delos Reyes said residents are urging Nograles to seek the mayoralty post so he can continue his various humanitarian programs and development projects in Davao City.

“If I say the Speaker is not running for mayor because that is what he said, they would ask us why, and they say how they wished Speaker Nograles would run,” De los Reyes, of the village of Barangay 6-A, said in a radio talk show in Davao City.

Nograles belongs to the 1st Congressional District where most of his projects benefited the poor from livelihood programs to infrastructure projects.

“Our constituents are urging the House Speaker to run for mayor of Davao City because they know he is for the progress of Davao City,” one supporter said.

Lawyer Prospero Mojica, who was also guest in the same show, said: “As a friend, I would advice against it. But as a Dabawenyo and for the sake of the people, I want Boy Nogie to run for mayor.”

Mojica was referring to Nograles whose nickname is Boy Nogie. The lawyer, a schoolmate of Nograles in Ateneo de Manila College, said it would be a sacrifice for the solon to seek the mayoralty post, but the clamor for his to run is difficult to ignore.

Nograles, who is on his third and last term, previously said that running for a local post is not part of his plan, but would campaign for his son, noted lawyer Karlo Nograles, who is said to be eyeing a congressional seat – the 1st District of Davao City.

The young Nograles is also the solon’s chief of staff.

Another village leader, Joel Santes of Matina Crossing, said the public clamor for the solon to run as mayor is strong. “People are clamoring for change…for the development and progress of Davao City,” Santes said.