Lakas party alliance dominates Tacloban bets

MANILA, Philippines - Provincial bets of the ruling Lakas party coalition led by reelectionest Gov. Jericho Petilla, his Vice Gov. Memiette Bagulaya, board members of the five districts of the province, along with two of the candidates for representatives in two districts, simultaneously submitted their certificates of candidacy to acting provincial Comelec officer lawyer Felicisimo Embalsado yesterday.

Petilla, running for his third term was escorted by his mother, former Leyte governor and now Pagcor official Remedios “Matin” Petilla and his wife Ann at the Comelec office 10 a.m. the other day.

Eufrocino Codilla Jr., filed his COC at the provincial Comelec office. Codilla Jr., estranged husband of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will replace his father as representative of the district. Incumbent fourth district board members Debora Bertulfo and Antonio Jabelles also filed their COCs for their last terms.

Senior Board Member Carlo Loreto who guns for his final term for the board in the fifth district also filed his COC along with second termer Florante Cayunda Jr., Carlos Cari, the former three-term mayor of Baybay, Leyte will replace his mother incumbent fifth district Rep. Carmen Cari. The younger Cari filed his COC last week.

From rebel soldiers to politicians

It seems this is now the trend for military officers who have been linked to foiled coup attempts against the administration, as more of them are throwing their hats into the political arena in the coming 2010 presidential elections.

On Sunday, former Air Force Lt. Ashley Acedillo, who joined the shortlived 2003 Oakwood mutiny, filed his COC as congressman for the first district of Cebu City.

Acedillo is the national spokesman for the Magdalo, a group of junior officers who led the occupation of the posh Oakwood Residences in Makati’s central business district. He is out on bail while his case before the Makati regional trial court is being heard.

Two other Magdalo members – Navy Lt. Gary Alejano and Capt. James Layug filed their COCs as mayor of Sipalay City in Negros and congressman of Taguig’s second district, respectively. Army Captain Dante Langkit, who was linked with the foiled 2006 coup plot, was earlier allowed by the military general martial to file his COC as congressman in the lone district of his home province Kalinga.

Their seniors, former Army Scout Rangers chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Marine Col. Ariel Querubin have also joined the senatorial race.

In Bataan, the timely intervention of the top official of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD executive committee broke the possible stand off in the filing of COCs of two administration aspirants for the congressional seat of the first district of Bataan.

Lakas incumbent Rep. Herminia Roman reportedly filed her COC before the Comelec provincial office on Sunday with the assurance of the equity of the incumbent and the nomination paper signed by the newly designated party official while the nomination of Maria Angela Garcia, daughter of Lakas-Kampi provincial chair Gov. Enrique Garcia Jr., was reportedly signed by Eduardo Ermita, former Lakas-Kampi-CMD president and Gabriel Claudio, secretary-general, which was submitted yesterday morning.

Bataan Gov. Enrique Garcia Jr. told The Star that the administration presidential bet Gilbert “Gibo”Teodoro reportedly informed him the party has recalled Roman’s nomination as the official candidate for the congressional seat in the province’s first district.

In a phone interview with Roman, she explained that she got her nomination paper from the new deputy secretary-general of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD on Nov. 26 while Garcia had the nomination on the administration party convention.

Battle of the century

Relatedly, former Zambales governor Vicen­te “GoVic” Magsaysay has announced his bid to join the mayoralty race in Olongapo City and is all set to challenge incumbent City Mayor James “Bong” Gordon Jr. for what is dubbed as the city’s “political battle of the century.”  

In a press briefing, Magsaysay said that he decided to run as mayor to institute reforms and ensure progress of the city.

He described Olongapo, which has been under the control of the family of Sen. Richard Gordon since the early 1960s, as “having been left behind” in terms of economic development and peace and order by booming neighboring cities like Alaminos in Pangasinan, Balanga in Bataan, San Fernando and Angeles in Pampanga, and Palayan in Nueva Ecija.

Magsaysay, who has filed his certificate of candidacy on Friday, has also fielded a complete ticket to challenge the Gordons.

For his vice mayor, Magsaysay chose Rolen Paulino, who had battled it out with the Gordons in the 2007 when he ran for mayor.

Magsaysay’s candidates for the city council are: Noel Atienza, Lugie Lipumano, Gie Baloy, Ronal Fonseca, Gina Prohorov, Lyn Reyes, Dick Lindayag, Carlos Morales, Linus Baccay, and Jess Danugrao.

2 women candidates for Legazpi mayor

Geraldine Barrameda Rosal, who is running for mayor under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD and her running mate for vice mayor Vitorrio Roces and their complete slate of councilors filed their COCs at the Comelec inside the city hall compound Monday morning.

Rosal, 36, who was accompanied by her husband and incumbent city mayor Noel and their supporters at the Comelec office, said she is running for the post to continue the momentum of growth which has been started during the term of her husband.

“I am really inspired to contribute to making this city grow even faster,” Mrs. Rosal told The STAR during an interview outside the Comelec office immediately after filing her certificate of candidacy.

Her running mate is Councilor Vittorio “Bitoy” Roces, son of the late city mayor and former vice chair and National Police Commission executive director Imelda Roces and councilors Rolly Rosal, Chito Ante, Celoy Chan, Alex Sy, Alan Rañola, Tess Alizago, Beth Muñoz and Cocoy Inson, also filed their COCs on Monday.

Also vying for the post of city mayor under the Liberal Party is Lorna Cristobal, president of the Liga ng mga Barangays and wife of the assistant regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Bicol, Engr. Oscar Cristobal. Her running mate is defeated mayoraly candidate Michael Imperial.

Swapping places

It is after all a Duterte-Duterte tandem in Davao City as Mayor Rodrigo Duterte opted to swap places with his lawyer daughter, Sara, who is the incumbent vice mayor.

Accompanied by friends and relatives, Sara filed at the Comelec office shortly before noon Sunday her COC for mayor as well as that of her father who will run for vice mayor.

Sara would be up against House Speaker and first district representative Prospero Nograles, who earlier filed his COC on Saturday.

The elder Duterte, would once again fight former Davao City mayor Benjamin de Guzman for the vice mayor slot.

The Dutertes are running under the Hugpong sa Katawhan local party while Nograles and De Guzman are the official candidates of the ruling Lakas-CMD party.

De Guzman, said he welcomed his ‘return bout’ with Duterte after the mayor defeated him in the mayoralty race in the 2001 elections.

“Team Nograles to which I belong has publicly said that decency in leadership must be restored in Davao City after more than 20 years of the reign of Rody (Duterte),” De Guzman said.

Nograles’ son, Karlo is running for Davao City first district congressman in place of his father, who is already on his third and last term.

Karlo would be pitted against first district councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta for the congressional seat.

Vi, Boyet file COCs

Actress-politician Vilma Santos-Recto formally filed her certificate of candidacy together with veteran actor Christopher “Boyet” de Leon yesterday at the Comelec-Batangas office, beating the last day of filing for candidates vying for electoral post in 2010.

Santos-Recto and De Leon were accompanied by their respective supporters together with the other candidates for the congressional and provincial board members position around 11:30 a.m. yesterday.

Ate Vi will seek for re-election in her second term as Batangas governor while De Leon will run as board member for the province’s second district both under the Liberal Party.

Partymates of Santos-Recto who filed their COCs includes Cristeta “Tita” Reyes for the third congressional district of Batangas, Carlos “Caloy” Bolilia as board member for the fourth district, Lorenzo Bausas for the first district and Divina Balba for the third district of Batangas.

De Leon for his part, said he will concentrate in the protection of the environment if elected.

Ate Vi will be pitted against former Batangas governor Armand Sanchez while Marc Leviste will go against Sanchez’s tandem Edwin Ermita, son of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

Team excellence

Additionally, Pangasinan second district Rep. Victor Agbayani and his running mate Oscar Lambino filed their COCs yesterday at the provincial office of the Commission on Elections in their bid to regain their former posts as governor and vice governor, respectively, of the province in the 2010 elections.

Agbayani’s wife, Dr. Jami Eloise Manzano-Agbayani, also filed her COC under the Liberal Party. They were also accompanied by their other candidates for board members from the first to the sixth districts of Pangasinan all under the LP banner except for Lambino who also carried Biskeg na Pangasinan as his local party.

Agbayani said his tandem with Lambino for nine years is “based on two decent leaders’ respect for each other, not based on fear but based on mutual respect.”

He described his slate as “Team Excellence” offering a winning breed. – With Miriam Desacada, Bebot Sison Jr., Raffy Viray, Celso Amo, Edith Regalado, Arnell Ozaeta, Eva Visperas