Mayor Romualdez still to decide on his running-mate

JUST three days before the start of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC), Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez admitted that he has yet to pick his possible running-mate.

He admitted, however, that some of his supporters are asking him to consider his wife, Councilor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez, as his vice mayoralty candidate.

“But if I will do that, I will lose my kids. It’s not good not to give attention to them. It will take more of her time (if she run for vice mayor),” Romualdez said.

Councilor Romualdez is on her second term just like her husband.

Mayor Romualdez said he is also considering two others as his possible running-mate, but refused to identify them.

Reports said, however, that Salvador Estudillo, chief of the Traffic, Operations, Management, Enforcement and Control Office (Tomeco), is one of those being considered for the vice mayor post.

“But that is still being discussed,” Romualdez said, referring to Estudillo’s possibility as his running-mate.

The mayor said his complete line-up would be known within the week.

The filing of the certificates of candidacy will start Monday, October 1 until Friday, October 5, as mandated by the Commission on Elections.

In next year’s elections, Romualdez is seeking for a possible third and last term with An Waray party-list Representative Florencio Noel as his rival.

Romualdez is affiliated with the Nacionalista Party, while Noel is identified with the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) of business tycoon Danding Cojuangco.

The incumbent city mayor said he is very careful in choosing who would join his team considering that the next few months would be “crucial” to the city’s development.

“I am not running after quantity but quality. What I am pushing is new faces…who have the integrity and capability to serve our people,” Romualdez said.

Among his possible candidates for councilor include lawyer Irene Chu, Dr. Elvira Casal, and radio broadcaster Fred Padernos, all running for the first time.

Aside from his wife, also included in Romualdez line-up are Councilors Dane Granados, Willy Domingo and the Chuas, namely: Edwin, Frederick, and Edmund. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)