BAGUIO CITY — Lakas Kampi presidential candidate Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. was met here by some 150 local leaders of the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) and this chartered city who declared their support to his candidacy, assuring him of an overwhelming victory from an estimated 90 percent of the one million registered voters from this part of Luzon.

As this developed, 49-year-old Teodoro also lead in a mock elections conducted by the Baguio City Correspondents and Broadcasters Club (BCCBC) on presidential candidates, garnering some 31 percent followed by Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III with 23 percent.

From a total of 60 votes cast by the BCCBC members, Teodoro had 19 votes while Noynoy garnered 14.

Nacionalista Party standard bearer Sen. Manuel Villar was third with 13 votes or 21.6 percent of the total votes cast, according to MBCCBC official Dexter See.

During a meeting the other night with the CAR leaders belonging to the Lakas-Kampi CMD at the Supreme Hotel here, Baguio City Rep. Mauricio Domogan said that they are “100 percent” decided in supporting Teodoro who they admired for his impressive track record, solid integrity and charming personality.

Teodoro was accompanied by Lakas-Kampi CMD senatorial bets former justice secretary Silvestre "Bebot" Bello III, broadcaster Rey Langit and Ramon Guico, mayor of Binalonan town in Pangasinan and president of the League of the Municipalities of the Philippines.

“We are now facing the next president of our country and we are throwing our full support to him,” Domogan, vice chairman of of the Lakas Kampi CMD in CAR, said. CAR is composed of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province.

Although he grew up in Tarlac province, Teodoro speaks fluent Ilocano that prompted the political leaders of the CAR region to make him as “an adopted son of the region.”

Teodoro’s arrival at the meeting venue drew loud applause from the region’s local officials.

With the declaration of support of the CAR officials, Teodoro said he is confident that he has solidified his hold of the so-called “Solid North” after he also received assurances of political following from local leders of the Ilocos and Cagayan regions before he conducted his campaign sorties in the country’s summer capital.

Among those who attended the meeting were Governors Nestor Fongwan of Benguet, Maximo Dalog of Mt. Province, Flydelia Diasen of Kalinga, and Eustaquio Bersamin of Abra; Benguet Vice Governor Cresencio Pacalso and Ifugao Rep. Solomon Chungalao.