Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr. was formally sworn in as a member of the ruling PDP-Laban during a ceremony yesterday at the Pototan Astrodome.

Joined by 4,000 other local officials, including his son, Iloilo third district Rep. Arthur Defensor, Jr. and Iloilo Provincial Board Member Lorenz Defensor, the oath-taking was led by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Calinog Mayor Alex Centena, who was earlier labeled a ‘narco-politician’ by President Rodrigo Duterte, was also among those joining the party.

Defensor, who served as provincial chairman for the Liberal Party (LP), previously noted it was Alvarez that extended the invitation to join PDP-Laban.

“You cannot accuse me of being an opportunist, I was invited,” he earlier insisted.

Back in August 2017, over 4,000 Iloilo officials joined the party in a ceremony at the Iloilo Convention Center.

Guimaras Governor Samuel Gumarin, another former LP member, was also part of the ceremony./WDJ