Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim finally confirmed what was suspected all along: he is supporting the candidacy of long-time friend and mentor. “I fully support Pres. Erap,” the mayor declared yesterday. He came out with his unconditional support for Estrada five days before the former president is scheduled to visit Bohol. The provincial chair of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), Lim delayed the announcement of his support simply for “dramatic effect.” “There was no doubt in my mind whatsoever that I would be backing Pres. Erap,” he stressed. Lim said that the only thing that could have made it difficult for him was if the NPC fielded Sen. Francis Escudero. “I would be torn between my friend and my party mate,” he noted. Still, the mayor acknowledged that it was not easy to arrive at his decision. “I campaigned hard for (Sen. Benigno Aquino III) in his senatorial bid in 2007,” he recalled. At the same time, Lim said he considers Sen. Manuel Roxas III, Aquino's running mate, a very close friend.

The mayor, however, noted that he believes Estrada would make a new president on his second shot at the post. “He is now a man on a mission to prove to the masa that he is indeed their champion,” Lim stressed. The mayor said that Estrada, the elder statesmen among this year's batch of presidential candidates, has nothing left to prove except to deliver on his promise to better the lot of the poor. Lim, whose humanitarian programs in the city has made him virtually unbeatable in this year's elections, argued that he is sure that with Erap as president, he will have no reservations about uplifting the lives of the poor in the city. “I cannot say the same thing with the other aspirants,” he added. The mayor also noted that Erap has no pretensions about grandiose plans and noble ideals because the basic issue is survival.

“The important thing is to assure people that the government will take care of their basic needs, see their children through college and not worry about peace and order,” Lim added. The mayor said the breakdown in the peace and order situation in Mindanao was the result of too much concessions and too little law enforcement. “When you are firm about keeping the peace, you deliver the message to trouble-makers that you will not hesitate to go after them,” he added. During the Estrada presidency, he went after Muslim extremists in the South which earned the support not only of the Christian community but also peace-loving Muslims. Lim said this is the reason why many Christians in Mindanao are unconditionally supporting Erap. The mayor says his support stand even Erap may not be figuring well in the surveys at present. “It is not about convenience and opportunism. My support for him is not dependent on the surveys,” Lim concluded.