Businessman and congressional aspirant Dan Atayde has officially took his oath yesterday, March 9, as the latest member of the Mayor Evelio Leonardia-led Grupo Progreso.
Atayde took his oath at the Ballroom of Acacia Hotel in Bacolod City before Leonardia shortly after the mayor had his first face-off against former Rep. Albee Benitez of Vicrorias City in the Debate Serye 2022 organized by station DYHB of Radio Mindanao Network at Ikthus’ Osbron Hall.
Atayde’s entry into the GP came three months after he was first introduced by the mayor as the group’s adoptive candidate during the lighting ceremony of the Bacolod Public Plaza in December last year.
Leonardia described the ceremony as a “special night for the GP, saying that the swearing in rite was the first since 2007 that the group had a formal induction of a new member.
“Certain things will happen if it’s meant to be,” Leonardia said.
The parting with incumbent Congressman Greg Gasataya and other former members, he explained, was also a “blessing in disguise” and a “cleansing process” that made GP stronger.
“Pound for pound and character for character, we have a better team that we used to have. It made us even stronger, more cohesive,” he added.
“If there is no enemy from the inside, we can beat any team from the outside,” the mayor continued.
Atayde officially received his first official red-and-green GP uniform
“This is my new team, my family. This is the beginning of our fight to make Bacolod progress even more,” he said.
“What we have now is a much better team with trustworthy set of candidates. We now have the momentum,” Leonardia added.
