Former Silay City mayor Mark Golez confirmed Monday, May 27, that he will be running for mayor in the 2025 elections with Councilor Ryan Gamboa as his vice mayoralty candidate.
The tandem was endorsed by the leadership of Team Asenso under Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and his brother, Third District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez.
Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano was also present during a meeting held last Saturday, May 25, at the Negros Occidental Metro Third Congressional office in Talisay City.
"We need hard work and lots of prayers, especially for the coming election," Golez said.
He said the party decided to field him in tandem with Gamboa after incumbent Vice Mayor Thomas Maynard Ledesma, who was his running mate in the 2022 elections, openly endorsed incumbent Mayor Joedith Gallego in January this year.
"That video of Ledesma went viral," Golez added.
Golez said they would field a complete line-up in the coming election and that they already have five candidates for councilors this time, including two incumbent councilors, Ramon Celebre and Lyndon Bernardo.
They will also field Balaring Punong Barangay Remy Roldan and
Noel Lacson of Barangay 2, and James Golez.
Golez said they have the support of 12 of the 16 punong barangays in the city including Ramil Barbasa who is expected to be installed as Punong Barangay of Barangay Guinhalaran after he won by five votes in an electoral recount by the Regional Trial Court in Silay City recently.
Golez won as the Asenso Silay mayoralty candidate during the local party convention that was recently held in Victorias City.
He vowed to bring back the glory of Silay, including good governance, and a government that is against corruption and to ensure the delivery of basic services to the Silaynons.
His mantra remains, “Asenso sang Silay, Asenso sang Panimalay”.
Golez said he would be in consonance with the decisions of the Benitezs and that of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson when asked for his stand about the Bulk Water Project of the provincial government.
Gallego and Ledesma have both signified opposition to the project.*