DAVAO CITY (October 4) — Davao City First District Congressman will no longer run for senator come 2019 midterm elections.
Instead, he will support senatorial candidates from Mindanao.
On Wednesday, Nograles thanked the groups who encouraged him to run “I am grateful for the support of all the groups and individuals who encouraged me to run for a Senate seat in 2019.”
Nograles is the current chairperson of the Committee on Finance, Ways and Means in Congress.
He cited his family as the reason for behind hid decision, “After much introspection and after consulting members of my family, I believe that I would be able to better serve the Administration of President Rodrigo Duterte by supporting the candidacies of fellow Mindanaoans who share my desire to bring development to the regions and uplift the welfare of our kapwa (fellow) probinsyanos,” he added.
He said he will support for other senatorial hopefuls from Mindanao belonging to the administration slate — including Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Special Assistant to the President Bong Go, and Bureau of Corrections Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Nograles said the Senate can benefit from the perspectives of those who have experienced first-hand the challenges faced by Filipinos in the provinces.
He cited as an example the leadership of Duterte, who also hails from Mindanao.
“Paninindigan, pag-unawa sa mga problema ng bayan, at malasakit. Ito ang mga katangian na hinahanap ng ating mga kababayan sa kanilang mga pinuno (Conviction, understanding our country’s problems, and concern — these are the traits that Filipinos are looking for in our leaders. Our people see this in our President),” Nograles said.
“This is the kind of leadership I will continue to support, in whatever capacity — whether as a public official or a private citizen,” he added.
Nograles is serving his third and final term as Congressman for the first district here.
Reports said, his  brother Jericho, the PBA partylist Representative will run to replace the seat he will vacate next year.
For the past two decades, the Nograles’ has been the occupant of the first district congressional seat.-NewsLine
