Seven incumbent municipal mayors of Oriental Mindoro are set to join the Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas CMD) party, one of the country’s largest political parties, just ten months before the midterm national and local elections.

Puerto Galera Mayor Rockey Ilagan was the first to take his oath of membership yesterday, July 5, before the local Lakas CMD leader, 1st District Rep. Arnan C. Panaligan at the latter’s district office in Sta. Isabel, Calapan City.

In an exclusive interview with Mindoro Today, Panaligan confirmed that, aside from Mayor Ilagan, six more mayors are expected to join his party, which holds the largest political bloc in the House of Representatives.

“Lahat ng mayors kasama, except one, na di ko pwede invite due to complications in the local level,” said Panaligan, who serves as assistant majority floor leader in the Lower House.

Most of the mayors expected to join the Lakas CMD come from the first congressional district which Panaligan represents. But Mindoro Today has learned that numerous mayoral aspirants, including an incumbent local chief executive from the second district have also expressed interest in joining Panaligan’s party.

When Calapan City was mentioned, Rep. Panaligan revealed that his party will not field candidates in the provincial capital and will instead collaborate with the Mindoro Bago Sarili (MBS) group. MBS is a local political party organized by Panaligan’s predecessor and ally, former Congressman Salvador “Doy” Leachon, who is rumored to be challenging City Mayor Malou Morillo for the city’s mayoral post in the next elections.

Morillo, ran and won under Aksyon Demokratiko in the 2022 elections and is an ally of incumbent Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor, who is also set to launch his own local party known as GSM.

“The city lineup will run under MBS, but Lakas will adopt them,” continued Panaligan.

Mindoro Today reached out to Leachon, who expressed readiness for a potential alliance between MBS and Lakas.

“Coalition,” was Leachon’s brief reply when asked about the prospects of the two groups working together.

On June 17, 2024, the local Liberal Party, headed by 2nd District Rep. Alfonso Umali, Jr., entered into a coalition with Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the political party of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.

In the 2022 elections, Puerto Galera gave Panaligan the second biggest margin in the first district after Calapan City, giving the former city mayor and governor 71% of the votes share and more than 8,000 vote margin over former Naujan Mayor Mark Marcos.