- MITCH M. LIPA
Talisay City Vice Mayor Samuel Siote said he visited and consulted with officials and residents in 23 of the 27 barangays of the city before making a final decision whether to run for mayor in the May 2022 elections.
Siote said most of the barangay leaders he met urged him to run for mayor, but others also suggested that he seeks a re-election.
The vice mayor said he was challenged to conduct consultations with barangay leaders after learning that an executive assistant of Mayor Neil Lizares has been visiting barangays and endorsed by supporters as their next vice mayor.
Siote won as councilor in 2013, and vice mayor in 2016. In 2019, he joined the group of Lizares and was re-elected.
He said he will hold consultations in the four big barangays of the city in the next two weeks, and will make his final decision on the last week of September.
The filing of the Certificates of Candidacy for next year’s elections is from Oct. 1-8. — MML
