“NO BIG deal.”

This was the reaction of Bacolod City re-electionist Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran after he was declared an independent candidate by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the 2019 polls, as well as his three companions who filed their certificates of nomination and acceptance (Cona) under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

City election registrar Mavil Majarucon-Sia earlier said the Comelec Law Department ruled that Familiaran, incumbent Councilors Bartolome Orola and Ana Marie Palermo, former Councilor Archie Baribar, and all members of Grupo Progreso (GP) were declared as independent candidates because their Cona was signed by Jesus Clint Aranas, president of Government Service Insurance System.

The Law Department said that Aranas is not authorized to sign the Cona for PDP-Laban for Bacolod City.

“No big deal for me because the replacement in the post of vice mayor is the right of succession, so it doesn’t matter,” Familiaran said.

He said the decision of the Comelec could not affect their candidacy for 2019 elections.

“It could not affect us because we also have a local political group and we are still members of PDP-Laban and we have the support of GP,” he added.

Familiaran said all the political parties were required by Comelec to submit the lists of their authorized representatives to sign the Cona of all local government units on October 5 while the authorization of Aranas was only submitted on October 10.