The Commission on Elections said 33 candidates filed their Certificates of Candidacy for various congressional and provincial elective positions in Negros Occidental, from Oct. 1 to 8.
Nine are congressional aspirants, three for the gubernatorial post, two are vying for the vice gubernatorial position, while 19 filed COCs for a 12-member Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Comelec records show.
Running unopposed are re-electionist Rep. Gerardo Valmayor (1st District), come-backing Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (2nd District), re-electionist Rep. Juliet Ferrer (4th District), and former House deputy speaker Mercedes Alvarez (6th District), who will replace her father, Rep. Genaro Alvarez.
Re-electionist Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez (3rd District) is being challenged by Bernard “Toto” Ferraris, an entrepreneur-resident of Victorias City, who filed his COC before the 5 p.m. deadline set by the Comelec Oct. 8.
Ferraris, of Brgy. 14, Victorias City, said he is running under the Reform PH People’s Party banner.
Benitez is affiliated with the PDP-Laban (Cusi faction).
Fifth District re-electionist Rep. Maria Lourdes Arroyo (Lakas CMD-United Negros Alliance) has two opponents in the persons of Atty. Emilio Bernardino Dino Yulo, who previously served as board member and vice governor of Negros Occidental, and Macoy Javelosa.
Yulo said he will run as an independent candidate, although he is a member of the Nacionalista Party.
In the gubernatorial post, incumbent Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has two opponents. They are former Bacolod Rep. Juan Nuega Orola Jr. and self-proclaimed visionary Maria Socorro Sibulan Okada.
Jonry Abagon Gargarita of Binalbagan is vying for the vice gubernatorial post against incumbent Jeffrey Ferrer.
The re-electionist board members are composed of Araceli Somosa and Rommel Debulgado (1st District), Sixto Guanzon Jr. and Samson Mirhan (2nd District), Valentino Miguel and Jeffrey Tubola (6th District), Manuel Frederick Ko and Andrew Montelibano (3rd District), Jose Benito Alonso (4th District), Rita Gatuslao (5th District).
Antonio Barillo Jr. and Junee Occida are board member aspirants in the 3rd District, and Bago City Councilor Andrew Martin Torres and Cleo Gaudite for the 4th District.
Board Member Ernesto Agustin Bascon filed his COC Oct. 8 for mayor of Himamaylan City, while other BM aspirants in the 5th District are Patrick Miguel Montilla, Rolito Espinosa, Pedro Bolaño, and Anthony Dennis Occeno, Comelec records further showed. – GB
