LATAK na lang ang pwedeng anihin sa Leyte ng iba pang partido pagsapit ng halalan, makaraang ibuhos ng gobernador, bise-gobernador at 18 alkalde mula sa iba’t ibang bayan sa nasabing lalawigan ang kanilang suporta sa buong koponan sa likod ng BBM-Sara UniTeam.

Pangako ni Southern Leyte Gov. Damian Mercado at iba pang mga lokal na opisyal, isang landslide win para kina dating Senador Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos para Pangulo at Sara Duterte-Carpio para Pangalawang Pangulo ng bansa.

Anila, sinumang bitbit ng Lakas-CMD, makakaasang dadalhin ng mga waray sa kanilang balota pagtungo sa mga polling precincts pagsapit ng halalan sa Mayo.

Sa pagpapatuloy ng “Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas Caravan” ng Lakas CMD sa Visayas, higit pa sa inaasahang suporta ang bumuhos sa tambalan nina Marcos at Duterte-Carpio.

Para kay Gov. Mercado, walang dapat alalahanin si Marcos at iba pang bitbit na kandidato para sa senado, kasabay ng giit na balwarte ni Sara ang Southern Leyte.

“Sara is also from Southern Leyte because we know that President Digong was born in Maasin City Southern Leyte and stayed in Southern Leyte, that’s why we feel Sara is also our kababayan,” ani Mercado.

“Of course we are supporting BBM-Sara, kami dito sa probinsiya we are supporting Sara and the UniTeam, including BBM,” pagtitiyak pa niya.

Ayon naman kay Vice Gov. Christopherson “Coco” Yap, 18 alkalde mula sa Southern Leyte ang kumpirmadong isusulong si Marcos, Duterte-Carpio at iba pang mga kandidato sa ilalim ng UniTeam.

“Very historical ang pagdating ni Mayor Sara dito sa Liloan. Iyung stop niya dito will bring back memories of her family from the Roa side. Mayor Eleno Roa was the mayor from 1911 to 1912 here in Liloan, Southern Leyte,” pagmamalaki ni bise-gobernador.

“Local leaders are here and the people of Southern Leyte because their (Dutertes) roots are from here, from our place. Yes, this is Duterte country. Technically from Maasin City, the Roa side, and here in Liloan also the Roa side of the family, their roots are from here in Liloan and Panaon Island,” dagdag pa niya.

Kapwa kabilang sa PDP-Laban sina Mercado at Yap.

Bilang tugon sa mainit na suporta ng mga waray sa UniTeam, lubos naman ang pasalamat ng batang Duterte kasabay ng panawagan para sa pagkakaisa at pagiging makabayan.

Sa isang maikling talumpati, binigyang pagkilala rin ni Duterte-Carpio sina Mercado at Yap.

Hindi naman nagpaiwan si Maasin City Mayor Nacional “Nikko” Mercado, na nangako ng isang landslide win para kina Marcos at Duterte-Carpio sa kanyang lungsod.

“Southern Leyte province and the city of Maasin fully support the vice presidential bid of Mayor Inday Sara and this (Thursday) morning together with Governor Damian Mercado, Vice Governor Christoperson Yap, 18 mayors from 17 municipalities and one city, we are one and we are here to fully support the UniTeam BBM-Sara,” sambit pa ng city mayor.

“As I stated, we fully support the…bid of presidential aspirant Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. and Vice President Inday Sara together with all their senatorial line-up… We are solid and we are behind them and we will campaign because we fully understand that they are here to help us, especially that President Duterte was born in Maasin City. We can’t turn our backs on the Dutertes,” pahabol pa niya.

Sa tala ng Commission on Elections (Comelec), aabot sa 400,000 ang botante sa Southern Leyte, kabilang ang Maasin na mayroong 58,800 registered voters.