Sen. Loren Legarda will be the guest of honor in today’s Sandugo street-dancing finale. Legarda was the personal choice of Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim to do the honors in the event considered the centerpiece of the Sandugo festival. “This is my way of doing what I failed to do the last time,” the mayor said in jest. Legarda wooed the mayor’s support for her failed vice-presidential bid but Lim declined because he already gave his commitment to then Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay who won the vice-presidential derby. The mayor said he supports Legarda’s advocacies particularly on environment and women’s concerns. Sometime after her arrival, the senator was expected to visit the Bohol Crisis Intervention Center, a home for battered and abused women and children. Lim said he hopes that senator can help some of the victims whose cases have remained undecided until this time.

The mayor said that he has high hopes that her training as a journalist will help her find ways to help the plight of the victims. “She can also do something to ensure that the center will be managed on a professional level and not run based on political considerations,” he added. The mayor refused to elaborate. Lim said that this early, he has already committed to Legarda’s reelection bid. “I told her that I will be her no. 1 campaigner in Bohol,” he added. The mayor said that his offer was “unsolicited, unequivocal and without any considerations”. “I believe in her capacity to serve as senator so I will prove that by supporting her,” he added. Lim declined to give details on what happened in 2010 saying that “all’s well that ends well”. “I was honest with her that I could no longer support her because of my previous commitment and she appreciated that,” he added. Lim said he is not like other politicians who promise to support everyone who approach them even when they already are already supporting other candidates.