(UPDATE) CEBU CITY — Cebu gubernatorial candidate Pamela Baricuatro's campaign received a boost after Honeylet Avanceña, partner of former president Rodrigo Duterte, expressed her support during a chance encounter in The Hague, Netherlands.
Avanceña, who was approached by a supporter outside the International Criminal Court Detention Center where Duterte is being held, said she admired Baricuatro and followed her social media page.
She described the candidate as someone fit to govern Cebu and encouraged voters to consider her as a leader who understands hardship and shares Duterte's style of public service.
Avanceña also made an appeal to Cebuanos to try a "new way of governance," saying Baricuatro had proven her resilience and leadership through life's challenges.
Baricuatro, in response, expressed deep gratitude, saying the endorsement came at a time when her campaign was under fire from various groups.
She considered Avanceña's support both uplifting and unifying.
In a statement posted online, Baricuatro said she had always admired Avanceña's quiet strength and described her as a key figure behind Duterte's success.
She also addressed supporters in a public message, crediting Avanceña for reinforcing the former president's call for change in Cebu and thanking her on behalf of the Partido Demokratriko Pilipino (PDP) Laban and Digong Duterte Supporters (DDS) communities in the province.
Baricuatro is running under PDP Laban and is among the local candidates endorsed by Duterte earlier this year.
Duterte also endorsed other local candidates, including dismissed mayors Michael Rama of Cebu City and Jonas Cortes of Mandaue. He also backed the candidacy of former Lapu-Lapu mayor Paz Radaza and Binggol Villo in Consolacion.
Despite these endorsements, Baricuatro has faced criticism from Hakbang ng Maisug-Cebu, a local group that questioned her loyalty to the Duterte camp.
The group accused her of allegedly sidelining other Duterte-aligned candidates, particularly senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez.
Baricuatro rejected the accusations and reiterated her support for Rodriguez. In a public post, she said she holds him in high regard and has actively campaigned for him during events.
She described him as a principled and capable leader whom she looks forward to working with.
With the elections fast approaching, Baricuatro said she remains focused on her campaign's message of change and unity.
She believes the support from both Duterte and Avanceña strengthens her call for a leadership that is grounded in experience and compassion for ordinary Cebuanos.
"It came at a crucial moment when I am under attack from various sources. Your words were truly comforting and uplifting," Baricuatro said.
"They not only unified us but also reinforced President Duterte's choice for change in Cebu," she added.