AFTER an unsuccessful bid for mayor in the 2022 elections, Ruy Elias Lopez, son of former city mayor Elias Lopez, is now aiming for the position of third district representative, a role he and his father previously held.
Lopez filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, the final day for submissions.
Running under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), a political party led by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., Lopez expressed his desire for community support in a brief Facebook post: "I will be asking for your support in this forthcoming elections. In the service of the people, I remain truly yours."
Similar to the 2022 elections, Ruy filed his COC on the last day.
In a previous interview, he mentioned a fallout with the Dutertes, which led him to withhold support from former President Rodrigo Duterte in the 2016 elections. Duterte is seeking a political comeback as mayor in the 2025 elections.
Lopez noted that his family and the Dutertes were once allies. However, in 2007, he learned that the elder Duterte had chosen his daughter, Sara Duterte, as his vice mayor. After discussing it with Duterte, Lopez expressed concerns that a "Duterte-Duterte" setup would lead to corruption, as both executive and legislative powers would be concentrated within the same family.
Elias Lopez made history as the first Bagobo-blooded mayor, serving from 1981 to 1986. Before his mayoral term, he held various positions, including councilor and vice mayor from 1967 to 1971, and later ran for Congress, winning as the Third District representative from 1992 to 1995 and again from 1995 to 1998. Unfortunately, he did not complete his final term, passing away a year before its conclusion. His son, Ruy, succeeded him as the representative for the city’s third district from 1998 to 2007. RGL