ILOILO City – If there’s a contest on the most number of election losses experienced, perennial poll candidate Mel Carreon, 80, would probably come out the runaway winner.
The 2020 elections were his 11th time to run for public office – and lose as much.
The faint of heart would probably throw in the towel already. But not Carreon who would rather look at this latest setback positively.
This time he made it to the Top 20, said Carreon with a sense of pride. He was always rock bottom in all his previous attempts, he pointed out.
In this year’s race for city councilor, Carreon slugged it out with 27 other candidates. He garnered 27,477 votes, as of 4 p.m. yesterday.
This already made him happy, said Carreon. The rise in his votes, he said, indicated a rise, too, in voters’ support and awareness of him.
”I am thankful. Despite nga si Mel Carreon one-man army lang, they supported me,” he told “Panay News.
In past elections, he ran for a Senate seat, for president, and for the city council.
He likened his battle to the central figure in the movie “Gladiator”.
“Ga away lang sa unseen arena for survival. Ti amo na si Mel Carreon,” he added.
Carreon is known for his unique campaign style – wearing a sash or body placard.
Asked if he will run in the 2025 midterm elections, Carreon said, “Depende sa health kag sa bulsa…kon maayo ang lawas ko I will never stop.”
“Kon ang doctor mag-recommend sa akon, ti I have to stop. Health is wealth,” he said.
Describing himself as an “unrecognized Ilonggo global celebrity”, Carreon, an insurance agent, 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 added.
In 2019 he ran for Iloilo City mayor – his third attempt to capture city hall, after losing the mayoral races in 1998 and 2001.
He initially intended to run for the Senate but changed his mind.
“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,” he said.
Carreon’s advocacies included the welfare of senior citizens, lowering or slowing down the increase of water utility rates, adding more stalls in comfort rooms, prohibiting interruptions of escalators in malls and other public establishments, and reviewing other building ordinances./PN
