BACOLOD City – Four members of the ruling Grupo Progreso (GP) have postponed filing their certificates of candidacy (COCs).
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, former councilor Archie Baribar, and incumbent councilors Bartolome Orola and Ana Marie Palermo said they will file their COCs on Oct. 15.
They all have the same reason – there was a “discrepancy” in their Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) from the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan.
Familiaran said delaying their COC filing will give them time to secure the CONA from the country’s ruling political group.
But the vice mayor – who seeks re-election along with Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Bacolod lone district representative Greg Gasataya – stressed that, with or without a CONA, they will file their COCs on Monday.
Other GP members filed the COCs at the Commission on Elections Bacolod office on Oct. 11, the first day of the filing period.
Aside from Orola and Palermo, four other incumbent councilors are seeking re-election under GP: Cindy Rojas, Renecito Novero, Dindo Ramos, and Elmer Sy.
Former councilors Al Espino and Carlos Jose Lopez will also run for councilor under GP together with newcomers Israel Salanga, Simple Distrito and Marlon Solidum./PN
