ZAMBOANGA City – A former priest and now Presidential Assistant for Mindanao has announced his bid to join the vice-mayoralty race Tuesday in Zamboanga City.

Crisanto “Monsi” Dela Cruz resigned from the Archdiocese of Zamboanga during the 2007 elections. He ran for the mayoralty post but lost to incumbent Mayor Celso Lobregat.

In his official announcement, Dela Cruz expressed his preparedness to face even scandals.

“I will not succumb to dirty politics. I am prepared,” he said. An alleged sex video scandal surfaced in his previous bid to run for office, which he believed made him lose in the elections.

He also believes that other black propaganda may be thrown at him now that he expressed his intention to join next year’s elections.
 
Dela Cruz filed extortion and grave threat cases against his former bodyguard whom he said was the one who proliferated the alleged scandal. The case is still on trial.

Dela Cruz said he was disappointed when the party chose Lobregat over him in the last election.
 
Lobregat declined to comment on dela Cruz's election bid, saying he has not yet given his commitment to any political party or presidential bet. He is currently a member of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino.
 
In another development, Zamboanga City District 1 Rep. Ma. Isabel Climaco took her oath with the Liberal Party on Tuesday. Climaco said she will have to leave Lobregat, her long time partner with the LDP, to support LP presidential candidate Sen. Benigno Aquino III. 

Earlier, Zamboanga City District 2 Rep. Erico Basilio Fabian, also a former LDP, announced that he is already supporting the Nacionalista Party under another presidential aspirant, Sen. Manny Villar.