ROXAS City – A public gathering in Barangay Dayao today will provide aspiring candidates for mayor under the Liberal Party a venue where they can share their plans for the city.
It will also be the basis for party stalwart Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, a former presidential candidate, in choosing who gets his support during the 2019 mid-term elections, according to a Liberal Party member.
The “symposium” at the Gerry Roxas Training and Convention Center will serve as a “venue for the aspiring candidates to present their priority programs to the people of Roxas City,” read an invite sent to this writer.
Gov. Antonio del Rosario of Capiz and Mayor Angel Alan Celino of Roxas City signed the invite dated Sept. 19.
Among possible Roxas City mayoral race contenders under the Liberal Party are Vice Mayor Erwin Sicad, Councilor Matthew James Viterbo and Provincial Legal Officer Ronnie Dadivas.
People from the public and private sectors were invited to attend, Sangguniang Panlalawigan secretary Zoe Herrera told this writer.
Only two of the three possible candidates confirmed their attendance as of last Friday, Herrera said without disclosing names.
Herrera confirmed the attendance of Mar Roxas, a former Interior secretary and a native of the city, at the symposium.
The symposium will help Roxas decide who to support, a party member said.
“It’s like involving the public in choosing the best candidate for mayor of Roxas City,” said the party member, who commented on the condition of anonymity.
“Sicad, Viterbo and Dadivas are all loyal members of the Liberal Party, but Sicad is being endorsed by Celino while Dadivas has the support of del Rosario, his nephew by affinity,” said the party member. “Viterbo, on the other hand, is a relative of Mar Roxas.”
Weeks ago, Roxas called for a Liberal Party local leaders’ meeting in preparation for the mid-term elections – specifically to finalize the party’s local lineups.
Today’s symposium starts at 8 a.m. and was scheduled to end at 12 noon.
Each speaker is given 30 minutes for their presentation, through PowerPoint or other alternative means, and another 30 minutes for an “open forum,” said Herrera./PN
