• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A farmer from Candoni town filed on Wednesday, Oct. 2, a certificate of candidacy (COC) for governor of Negros Occidental in the May 2025 midterm elections.
Ferdenand Etabag Diego, 50, alias Bongbong Gorilla, is a resident of Barangay Gatuslao.
He was the only aspirant who submitted his documents on the second day of COC filing at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City.
While he admitted that it is impossible for him to win against Lacson, Diego said he just would like to get the attention of the governor on their call for the government to award the land due to them.
In Talisay City, lawyer Rowena Lopez Lizares, wife of Mayor Neil Lizares, also filed her COC for mayor with her running mate, incumbent Vice Mayor Nicolai Jalandoni.
Both of them got the endorsement of Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano, who is also the caretaker of the Negros Occidental Third District.
Murcia Mayor Victor Gerardo Rojas and his running mate, Vice Mayor Johnny Reosura, as well as the eight reelectionists and aspirants for councilor also filed their COCs under the Paspas Asenso Murcia local party on Wednesday. | GB
