TWO-TERMER and incumbent Mayor Danilo Guintu of Masantol town filed on Tuesday, October 16, his certificate of candidacy (COC) to finalize his bid for his last term as local chief executive.
Accompanied by Fourth District Representative Juan Pablo Bondoc, Guintu filed his COC as a common candidate of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and Kapanalig at Kambilan Memalen Pampangan (Kambilan) chaired by Governor Lilia Pineda, officially joining the province's unity ticket.
Guintu said he is bound "to finish what he started and realize all his dreams for Masantol by sustaining the projects and programs aimed at further developing the municipality he started implementing in 2013."
Guintu's entry in the political arena came in 2013 when he ran for and claimed this town's chief executive post, defeating Paul Flores, brother of then incumbent and last termer mayor Peter Flores.
"I had a dream for Masantol to become one of the most developed municipality in Pampanga, that is why I ran for mayor back in 2013, and I can never be more grateful that my fellow Masantoleños gave me the chance to fulfill that dream by electing me in 2013, and again in 2016," Guintu said.
"And now, I am knocking again at the hearts of my fellow Masantoleños to give me the same chance to fulfill my dream of uplifting their lives and that of their children, and pursue the development of our beloved hometown," he added.
Among the programs he said he is bound to sustain are in the sectors of infrastructure, especially those concerning flood mitigation projects, education, health, social, peace and order, tourism, livelihood, particularly in the agriculture sector.
Guintu has a lone rival for the mayoralty post after incumbent and three-termer Councilor Christopher Sonza Bondoc filed his COC at the Comelec on Monday afternoon, October 15.
Meanwhile, other members of team "I love Masantol," headed by Guintu, also subsequently filed their COCs on Tuesday morning, including incumbent and three-termer councilor Epifanio Lacap Jr., who is running for vice mayor.
The team's councilor slate are comprised of Botong Sunga, Ronald Flores, Bobot Viray, Jennifer Marcelino, Porcia Manansala, Liezel Guintu, Jimmy Balingit, and Marcelo Lacap Jr.