“IT’S all about politics and they want to discredit us.”

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said this on Wednesday, October 17, after local mediaman Edgar Cadagat wanted to secure a copy of the certificates of candidacy (COC) of Grupo Progreso (GP) at the local Commission on Elections (Comelec) office.

He said this kind of move will eventually boomerang.

On Monday, Cadagat sent a letter to Comelec requesting the COCs of GP led by Leonardia.

Election Registrar Mavil Majarucon-Sia earlier said that Comelec will not release the copy of the COCs of the candidates to anybody because of the Data Privacy Act or an act protecting individual personal private sector, creating for this purpose a national privacy commission, and for other information in information and communications systems in the government and the purpose.

Cadagat earlier said he is asking the copy of Leonardia’s COC because, in the previous years, Leonardia was convicted on his administrative case.

He added they are also planning to file a case before the Office of the Ombudsman against Leonardia for not paying the Penjan Builders which was contracted by the City Government during the administration of former mayor Monico Puentevella for construction materials supply.

Leonardia said that in the previous elections, their rally and campaign were also harassed by the motorcycles owned by the city government and eventually, it also boomerang.

“In the end, good will triumph over evil,” he said. (MAP)