‘MEANT TO BE’: Baricuatro, Ruiz team up for May polls

Local

GUBERNATORIAL candidate Pamela Baricuatro and vice gubernatorial aspirant Lito Ruiz have officially joined forces for the May 12 midterm elections, formalizing a partnership that was initially derailed by political setbacks.

Though they filed their candidacies separately, Baricuatro under Patrido Demokratriko Pilipino (PDP) and Ruiz as an independent, the two have now aligned their campaigns, citing a shared vision for Cebu’s future.

The two were together attending the Kingdom of Jesus Christ watch party in Talisay City for the “Pasasalamat kay PRRD” event held in Hong Kong on Sunday, March 9.

Baricuatro explained that they had planned to run as a tandem from the beginning, but last-minute complications prevented Ruiz from securing a spot with PDP.

"From the start, supposed to be mag tandem mi ni Lito unya something naay mga documents kuwang unya last minute na sad. So, mao to nga wa siya madayon sa PDP," Baricuatro said.

Ruiz echoed her statement, saying he had attempted to align with PDP but was ultimately left off its final roster, leading him to file independently.

"Kami gyud tong duha then pag abot sa unahan, siya sa Partido Federal unya ako PDP. Paghuman nauna siya'ng na PDP, unya ako nawagtang ko sa passing mao to filed as an independent candidate," Ruiz said.

Despite running under different banners, both candidates emphasized that their shared vision for Cebu’s progress makes their partnership natural.

Baricuatro said their team-up was inevitable given their common goals.

“This is meant to be, we will run together. Pareha man mi ni Lito og goal para sa kaayuhan sa katawhan. So, why not?” she said.

Ruiz acknowledged that although they campaign separately at times, they continue to appear together at major events.

"Iyahay mi og panginhas, pero naa pud usahay mag-abot sa rally. Sama ani karon," Ruiz said.

With their tandem now public, Ruiz said Cebuanos should expect to see more of them together in the coming weeks.

He emphasized that their alliance is not about political convenience but a shared commitment to serving Cebu.

“The more you see us. Kini among tandem ni Pam, wala ni malisya, dili ni loveteam kun dili love namo ang Sugbo,” Ruiz said.

Baricuatro is a philanthropist and community leader known as the founder and executive director of the SimplyShare Foundation.

Ruiz is a longtime public servant and media personality. He previously served as an undersecretary for the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and is known for hosting a TV talk show on CCTN Channel 47.(MyTVCebu)