BY GLENDA TAYONA and IAN PAUL CORDERO
ILOILO City – Perennial election candidate – and loser – Carmelo “Mel” Carreon has withdrawn his certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator.
Yesterday, he instead filed a COC for mayor in Iloilo City.
“Kon senador ka, mabisa ka sa Senate President, mabisa ka sa Cabinet members, kag mabisa ka sa Malacañang. Pero kon mayor ka, mga foreign kag national leaders ga-courtesy call sa imo,” said Carreon, 73.
Carreon filed his COC for senator on Oct. 11 and created quite a stir; he filed an old COC form and was ordered by the Commission on Elections central office to use the new form.
Describing himself as an “unrecognized Ilonggo global celebrity”, Carreon vowed to make Iloilo City just as progressive as the other key Philippine cities.
“I will guarantee nga ang kaban sang banwa ibalik ta sa pumoluyo in terms of services. We will make Iloilo City like Makati City, Quezon City and Davao City. Kon masarangan sang Davao kag Makati, masarangan man sang Iloilo City. Daku ang budget sa syduad sang Iloilo,” he said.
Carreon appealed to those who voted for him in the 2016 election – he ran for city councilor but lost – to continue supporting him.
“Ang nagboto kay Mel Carreon sang 2016 nga 15,365, they have to do whispering campaign. I appeal to them nga kampanyahan nila si Mel Carreon maski times eight, that will be 80,000. That is 40 percent na and ang 60 percent tungaon nila,” he said.
Carreon is running for mayor against incumbent Jose Espinosa III, three-term congressman Jerry Treñas and possibly Dr. Pacita Gonzalez, wife of the late Justice secretary and congressman Raul Gonzalez Sr./PN
