First district bet withdraws COC

CEBU, Philippines — A congressional aspirant of the first district of Cebu yesterday withdrew his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) and was substituted.

Rodolfo Flormata yesterday submitted a statement to the Commission on Elections withdrawing his COC.

Flormata’s partymate in the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan - Democratic Party of the Philippines (PDDS-DPP) Dr. Ron del Mar will now be the party’s new candidate for the first district representative post.

Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said that substitution can be done if the substitute candidate came from the same party and can secure a Certificate of Nominations and Acceptance (CONA).

“COC ug CONA gihapon ang i-file sa mopuli after gi-withdraw sa nag-una ang iyang candidacy,” he said.

Del Mar was able to submit both.

Castillano said that substitution is allowed until November 29.

He explained that in case the candidate dies and the substitution period is over, the only eligible person to replace the candidate is someone who fits the minimum requirements of a public official and has the same last name as the dead one.

Substitution, within the allocated period, does not require the first aspirant to explain the withdrawal of the COC.

On his part, Del Mar said that the substitution happened after PDDS-DPP picked him to run for the position instead, after some ‘intervening circumstances'.

He recalled that Flormata's candidacy was “sort-of temporary” while waiting for some factors to come into play.

As a practicing surgeon, Del Mar said that he wanted to file a bill that can help improve the health system not just in the first district but the entire country as well.

He said that quality health services must be felt in the grassroots level without politicizing it.

Running against him for the congressional seat is incumbent Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas who has been in the political arena for decades.

With this in mind, Del Mar said that his edge will be his brand of leadership which is participative and not patriarchal.

The doctor who aspires to be a legislator has never been elected for a public post.

However, he had tried to run for the barangay and city level posts in Naga City, but did not win.

Despite this, he said he will not stop trying because he is not contented with how the district is represented in the Congress.

“If maayo pagka-representar ang distrito, nganong modagan pa man ko,” he told reporters.

He continued that even if he has never been elected for a public post, he has been doing public service in the medical field.

He added that he is the immediate past president of the Society of General surgeons in Eastern Visayas and had been a hospital director of the Visayas Community Medical Center (VCMC). — GAN (FREEMAN)