MANILA - The Alfonso Cusi faction of the PDP-Laban has named a veteran lawmaker as its candidate for mayor of the City of Manila.

PDP Laban Secretary General Melvin Matibag said the ruling party under President Rodrigo Duterte endorsed Manila First District Rep. Manuel Luis Lopez as their standard bearer in the capital city in the 2022 elections on Thursday night.

“Tonight lang siya kandidato PDP Laban, mayor of Manila, Cong. Manny Lopez. Endorse ni PRRD.” Matibag told reporters as he confirmed a picture shared with media showing Duterte raising Lopez’s hand.

Lopez currently chairs the House Committee on Metro Manila Development.

He also serves as vice-chair of the Committee on Youth and Sports Development. He is a member of the committees on Appropriations, Dangerous Drugs, Disaster Resilience, Government Enterprises and Privatization, Housing and Urban Development, Information and Communications Technology, Interparliamentary Relations and Diplomacy, Justice, Labor and Employment, Poverty Alleviation, Social Services, Trade and Industry and Transportation. Lopez principally authored 111 bills and co-authored 97 others in the 18th Congress.

Lopez is on his second consecutive term as congressman.

Congressmen are limited to 3 consecutive 3 year terms. He won in 2019 under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

- report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News