MAYOR Roderick Furigay of Lamitan City, Basilan and seven candidates for councilors of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) have filed their certificates of candidacies (COCs) on Saturday, October 5, in that city.
Furigay, accompanied by the seven candidates for councilors and supporters, marched shortly after 8 a.m. after a program at his residence in Malinis village to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Matibay village where they filed their respective COCs.
Furigay said four of the seven candidates for councilors are seeking reelections, one is making a comeback and the remaining two are newcomers.
He announced during the program in his residence that his nephew and incumbent Vice Mayor Hegem Furigay is running under another political party and is fielding three candidates for councilors, including two incumbents.
“Let it be known that he (Hegem) will our guest candidate for vice mayor. He will be running for a position, but he will not run for mayor,” Furigay said.
Earlier, information circulated that the vice mayor will run for mayor against his uncle in the 2025 mid-term elections. Hegem is the son of Roderick’s brother.
However, Hegem decided to seek reelection following interventions from the family, especially from the matriarch of the Furigays.
The mayor said that when reelected, he will continue the implementation of infrastructure projects, social services, and water systems for the coastal villages.
One of the ambitious projects of Lamitan City is the construction of an airport.
The elder Furigay said they will inaugurate on October 15 the five-megawatt Rose Power Plant. It will lessen the house of brownouts in Lamitan City.
Rose is the nickname and the name of the humanitarian program of the late Mayor Rosita Furigay, Roderick’s wife, who was gunned down in July 2022 at the Ateneo de Manila University.
Rose stands for Reaching Out Serving Everyone. (SunStar Zamboanga)