FIVE electoral candidates under the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) banner filed their certificate of candidacy (COC) before the Comission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.
First to arrive at the Comelec Cebu City office was Congress aspirant from Cebu City North District Cutie del Mar, followed by Councilor Lea Japson (North District), Vice Mayoral candidate and current councilor Franklyn Ong, Councilor Raul Alcoseba (South District), and Councilor Joy Young (North District).
Ong, Alcoseba, Young, and Japson all expressed their support on Margot Osmeña's bid for city mayorship.
Sought for comment on Margot Osmeña's mayorship under BOPK, Japson said she is thankful of the "decision" Congressman Bebot Abellanosa has made for the party.
"Actually, usa pod na sa decision ni Congressman Bebot Abellanosa nga to choose Margot Osmeña as a mayor. Nagpasalamat sad mi ni Cong. Bebot na kumbaga ni slide down nalang gyod siya kay iya man sad jud decision na Margot, you run nalang as mayor. Like that ba," she said.
She said this decision of the BOPK has been finalized days ago.
Ong, for his part, thanked his party for trusting him this time as the party's vice mayoral candidate.
"After all the deliberations for the past weeks that they have decided to come up with a very strong line up to make sure that we can give good governance to the Cebuano people," he said.
He said the other candidates of their party would be filing their COCs on Thursday, as he said, knowing the current situation they decided to split the party's filing of COC.
He, however, said they will be full force on Thursday though he said going inside the Comelec will be a challenge.
Aside from being a legislative presiding officer, Ong said should he be elected as vice mayor, he will prioritize the handling of basic services.
"I know the mayor will be having her hands very full with all the problems that they have to clean up and all the plans that they have to do for the Cebu City, but somebody has to take care of the house, mga basic services. Pagtabang sa atoang mga barangay," he said.
"Having being in the barangay for many years, we know the problem, unsay mga problema sa barangay and I think I can help amd really be effective in addressing all these problems sa atoang mga kabarangayan sa atong dakbayan," he added.
Ong said he hope that the City can maintain its current low number of Covid-19 cases until next year.
The election activities this year have a lot of changes because of the Covid-19 pandemic and this is evident with the lesser number of people allowed to enter the Comelec premises starting the filing of the COC period, among other rules.
Moreover, Del Mar said she will prioritize drainage projects of the City once elected in Congress.
"For 2022, I have a lot of projects for drainage kay ang kanang baha, magda sad na og sakit. So, we have to make that the residents are okay because ggat could lead to leptospirosis and of course, with the onset of rainy season, there's dengue and all, so whatever we can do to help our City improve that's where our heart is," she said.
Del Mar said she will also try to push for the passage of the bills she, including her father, the late Raul del Mar, filed which were only approved during the first reading and were not passed during her time.
For instance, she said, these bills include the promotion of teachers' welfare especially this time of the pandemic.
She said her father is "so much a part of her candidacy" and in fact, she said, she visited her father's grave before filing her COC yesterday.
She said she also brought with her her father's last held rosary, Sto. Niño necklace, ballpen, and handkerchief and wore his cologne.
Meanwhile, Comelec Cebu City North District elections officer and lawyer Chaunsey Boholst then said the by batch campaign of the party was good and he then encouraged others to do the same.
"Gi-invite nato sila sa pag coordinate sa office aron hapsay ang ilang pag file," he said.
He said as of now, even though these candidates have already filed their COCs, they are still not considered as candidates, but aspirants, until such time that the campaign period starts next year. (WBS)