Davao City Councilor Augusto Javi Campos III speaks to reporters after filing his COC for the second congressional district on Monday, 07 October 2024. MindaNews photo by IAN CARL ESPINOSA
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 07 October) – Davao City Councilor Augusto Javi Campos III, who has been called out in the city council for alleged party disloyalty after a photograph with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the “Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas” convention in Pasay City last September 26, is running in the congressional race here.
Campos filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the city’s second congressional district on Monday under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), which Marcos chairs.
“Ang gusto nako, dili mahikawan ang dakbayan, hilabi na ang district two, og mga proyekto ug programa sa national government (What I want is that our city, particularly district two, will not be left behind by national government projects and programs),” he told reporters Monday morning after filing his COC.
Campos said he talked “heart to heart” with Mayor Sebastian Duterte and Vice Mayor J. Melchor B. Quitain Jr. before he decided to transfer to PFP.
He emphasized that he still “holds the Dutertes in high respect.”
Campos was accompanied by Civil Service Commission chairperson Karlo Nograles, whose family is seen as a challenger to the Dutertes in the May 2025 local elections.
Nograles declined to comment on his possible mayoralty candidacy.
“I am here for Javi,” he said.
Aside from Campos, Melogen Monteclaros filed his COC for the city’s second congressional district as an independent candidate.
On Monday also, Councilor Diosdado Mahipus, a second termer who earlier criticized Campos for shifting party, filed his COC as reelectionist in the second district under Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL).
During the 2022 elections, both Mahipus and Campos ran under HTL, which former President Rodrigo Duterte founded when he was still a mayor decades ago.
Asked about Campos’ congressional bid, Mahipus said: “I have yet to speak to him… Lain na diay iyang partido, biyaan na niya ang mga Duterte?” (So he’s with a different party, he will leave the Dutertes?)
“Pero ang PFP dili man na gasuporta sa mga Duterte (But the PFP does not support the Dutertes),” Mahipus added.
He said that “traitors,” whom he referred to as those who shift from one party to another, “makes his heart ache as it defies a supposed unity in Davao City.” (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
