SAN JOSE, Antique – The congressional bid of Antiqueña Sen. Loren Legarda in the May 13, 2019 midterm elections was made official as her certificate of candidacy (COC) was filed Wednesday – the last day of the filing period.
In behalf of Legarda – who was at The Hague, Netherlands for the launch of the Ban Ki-moon and Bill Gates-led Global Commission on Adaptation – political ally Gov. Rhodora Cadiao filed the COC at the Commission on Elections provincial office in this capital town.
Cadiao and Vice Gov. Edgar Denosta are seeking reelection under Legarda’s line-up.
“I would like to help the beautiful province of Antique, the home province of my great grandfather Ariston Gella…and my great granduncle Vicente Gella,” said Legarda, who is allied with the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
She added: “Antique is a beautiful, rich and pristine province, but unfortunately, still vulnerable and poor.”
Legarda believes that “much more needs to be done to elevate the standard of living of my kasimanwa and to help the most vulnerable and needy” in Antique.
Legarda filed her application to transfer her voter’s registration from Malabon City, Metro Manila to Pandan, Anitique on Sept. 28.
Former Antique vice governor Robin Rubinos filed an opposition on her application at the Comelec office in Pandan on Oct. 4.
Rubinos said Legarda is not a resident of Pandan, particularly of Barangay Mag-aba – the village the senator identified in her application as her new domicile.
“The domicile of origin of the applicant is Malabon City, which remains as her domicile as she has not fulfilled the requirements in acquiring a new domicile in Mag-aba, Pandan, Antique,” added Rubinos.
But Legarda said she has already transferred domicile early this year in compliance with the law.
“I have served our country well for the past 20 years and as I end my third term in the Senate, I wish to continue serving our country as a member of Congress – at the same time, as representative of my home province where I took my oath as a first-term senator in 1998,” Legarda added./PN
