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MANILA, Philippines – Arriving from a parade around the Quezon City Hall complex, Mayor Herbert Bautista filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for reelection on Friday morning, October 16.
Bautista was accompanied by his local slate, including running mate and incumbent Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, and supporters that crowded the Commission on Elections office.
The city mayor, who has headed Metro Manila’s biggest city for 5 years, is running for his third and final term.
He was earlier reported to be eyeing a senatorial run under the Liberal Party-led ruling coalition, but begged off at the last minute. Bautista explained last October 12 that he eventually decided to give the slot in the senatorial ticket to other members of the administration’s rainbow coalition.
“I offered myself to run for the Senate. I think it was 10 months ago…. But you know as days went by at iyong papalapit na ng papalapit ung pagpapapili, ang unang idea ko talaga ay parang mas matibay yung Liberal Party i-accomodate natin yung coalition. So lumabas nga na na-accomodate natin yung coalition,” Bautista told reporters after delivering his 6th State of the City Address (SOCA) at the Quezon City Hall on October 12. (As the selection [of the slate members] drew nearer, what first came to my mind was the Liberal Party would be stronger if the coalition is accommodated. And it did show, the coalition was accommodated.)
Garbage, power problems
On Friday, when asked about special plans for his final mayoral stint, Bautista said he will just continue what he has started but will now focus on addressing Quezon City’s garbage problem and electricity shortage.
“The only difference is gusto naming i-address ang basura at kuryente sa Quezon City (we want to address problems in garbage and electricity in Quezon City).”
“Gusto naming makatulong na maibsan iyong kakulangan ng kuryente (We want to help address electricity shortage) by generating our own electricity,” Bautista said hinting at a big project of the local government.
‘Dare to dream’
Bautista has at least 3 rivals for the post.
Leon Peralta, founder of the Anti-Trapo Movement of the Philippines, is running against Bautista under the Buklod National Political Party.
“Dreaming for a better Quezon City,” Peralta’s 12-point agenda includes fighting crime, drugs, poverty, corruption, and traditional politicians. He also wants to make the city more accommodating to businesses and senior citizens, and ease the process of availing government documents needed for employment.
Peralta previously ran for congress in 2010 and councilor in 2013 but lost in both bids.
Another mayoral aspirant from the Philippine Green Republican Party also filed his COC after Bautista. DWBL’s radio broadcaster Alexander Lague wants to prioritize the establishment a Quezon City university to help the poor afford college education.
“Kung ako po ang maupong mayor, bubudgetan ko po ng dalawang bilyon kasi ang income po nito kung di ako nagkakamali ay 15 billion ang IRA. What is two billion para sa Pamantasang ng Lungsod ng Quezon. ” Lague said. (If I will be elected as mayor, I’ll allocate P2 billion [for the Quezon City University] because the city’s internal revenue allotment, if I am not mistaken, has already reached 15 billion What is two million for a city university.)
A non-governmental organization (NGO) worker, Martin Sanchez Jr, also filed last Tuesday, October 13, his candidacy as an independet for the mayoral race.
Celebrity candidates
Among the early birds who filed in Quezon City for Comelec’s last day of filing was Eat Bulaga host Anjo Yllana.
Yllana is running for reelection as 5th district councilor. Prior to his service in the city, he was also a councilor in Parañaque City where he eventually served as vice mayor in 2004.
The actor ran in 2007 for re-election and 2010 as councilor in Parañaque but lost both races. After that, he pursued a seat for city councilor in Quezon City’s 5th district where his birthplace, Fairview, is situated.
Former actor and Mayor Bautista’s younger brother, Hero, also filed his candidacy as councilor. Hero had a short-lived career in showbiz playing the lead role in “Dayuhan,” a sci-fi television series during the 1980s.
Aside from the two personalities, former host Roderick Paulate and 70’s movie star Johnny Revilla are also running for councilor. They both filed their COCs earlier in the week. – Rappler.com
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