Ilocos region political kingpin Luis “Chavit” Singson, a long-time ally of the Marcoses, said he is throwing his full support to the Marcos Jr.-Duterte tandem in 2022.

Singson, incumbent Narvacan, Ilocos Sur mayor and president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) said they waited for the final decision of the Dutertes, with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte for President and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go as Vice-President. “Iba naman ang inendorso niya (Pres. Duterte).

Singson, who had been known to have commanded practically a block voting population in Ilocos Sur including wielding the full support of all three dozen town mayors and other local leaders in the province, admitted they initially were caught in a quandary especially on the last minute changes in the pro-administration line-ups and declarations of President Duterte, whom they supported in 2016. “So, labas muna ako sa politics,” Singson said, “focus muna ako sa donations.”

Singson had withdrawn his bid for the vice-gubernatorial post in Ilocos Sur against his own son, incumbent Gov. Ryan Singson.

For now though, Singson, who earlier swore as a member of the Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) fielding Senators Panfilo Lacson and Vicente Sotto III as President-Vice President and was a dear friend of Presidentiable Senator Emmanuel Pacquia, vowed full backing for former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “Because he is from the North. Ilocano siya. Very clannish kase mga Ilocano at marami boboto sa kanya,” he explained, adding, ‘Ilocanos, who are also strewn all over the country and abroad, the political kingpin claimed, are rooting for Marcos Jr. (for President) and Mayor Sara Duterte as Vice-President’.

The political kingpin also said he hopes that Pres. Duterte and her daughter will talk in the future to iron out the rift between them. “Hopefully, maayos pa ang lahat.”