One Cebu, LP bets file COCs; Wagas files papers by proxy

POLITICAL aspirants from One Cebu and Liberal Party, as well as independent candidates beat the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) yesterday.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, chairman of One Cebu, went to the Provincial Commission on Elections (Comelec) at 11 a.m. together with her partymates.

Reps. Pablo Garcia (Cebu, second district) and Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, third district) also filed their COCs.

Former Danao City vice mayor Ramon “Boboy” Durano IV filed his COC for vice governor of Pablo John.

Gov. Gwen filed her COC for congresswoman in the third district.

Supporters of One Cebu gathered at the Provincial Comelec for their candidates.

Provincial Board Member Alex Binghay will run for reelection. Binghay will no longer run for congress in the third district after Gwen withdrew her plans for the Senate.

Gwen will run as representative for the third district.

For first district, PB Members Julian Daan and Sergio Restauro will seek reelection.

For PB members in the second district are Boljoon Mayor Teresita Celis and Carmiano Kintanar.

For the fifth district, it will be Alfie Pepito for congressman and Remar Degamo and Benjamin Batiquin Jr. for PB members.

Pepito said he has been in the office of the mayor in Liloan for six years.

For the sixth district, Nerissa Soon-Ruiz will run for Congress and former PBA player Elmer Cabahug will run for the PB, the only candidate of One Cebu to run for the position.

PB Member Wilfredo Caminero, a Liberal Party member, filed his COC earlier in the day.

He will run for congressman in the second district against Deputy Speaker Garcia and former congressman Simeon Kintanar.

Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, vice gubernatorial candidate of LP, filed her COC together with two PB candidates of Bakud party - PB Members Miguel Antonio Magpale and Jude Thaddeus Durano-Sybico.

Former Department of Tourism secretary Joseph Felix Mari Durano was also with them. He will run for congressman in the fifth district.

Magpale is the running mate of lawyer Hilario Davide III. Davide will run against Rep. Pablo John for governor.

They were accompanied by retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.

A second district PB member who will run under LP together with PB Member Peter John Calderon is Dumanjug Vice Mayor Christopher Baricuatro.

Celestino “Tining” Martinez III, LP’s candidate for Congress in the 4th district, also filed his COC yesterday.

LP’s candidates for PB members in the fourth district are Jose Layon and Rhafael Luche.

PB Members Arleigh Jay Sitoy and Thadeo Ouano filed their COC for reelection.

Pimamungajan Mayor Geraldine Yapha filed her COC at 4 p.m. under LP. She will run against Gov. Gwen in the district.

Provincial Comelec Supervisor Marco Lionel Marco Castillano said the five days of filing of the COC were generally peaceful.

He said there are fewer independent candidates now than in the last elections.

Included in the list of independent candidates are Tomas Yu for PB in the third district and Eulogio Chito Arreglo for the same position in the fourth district.

Former Compostela mayor Gilbert Wagas filed his COC for fifth district representative despite his imprisonment in Muntinlupa.

A representative, who introduced herself as a lady friend of Wagas, filed the COC for him. She said Wagas is under the UNA-PMP. But since the certificate of nomination and acceptance was not filed simultaneously, Wagas was registered as an independent candidate.

Maria Rosella Avellanda brought with her a special power of attorney to file the COC for Wagas.

A handwritten statement of Wagas said he will run “to pursue our long-overdue struggle to free the fifth district of Cebu from the dynastic control of one family-Nito Durano Sons Monopoly.”

Castillano said Wagas voter’s registration is on deactivated status yet, but he can reactive it until Oct. 31.

Wagas was convicted by the Sandiganbayan of malversation of public funds.