ILOILO – For the second time, former Tubungan mayor Victor Tabaquirao is set to challenge incumbent Cong. Janette Garin for the congressional seat in the 1st District.
Tabaquirao, running under the PDP-Laban party, filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Tuesday afternoon, October 8, at the designated venue of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) – Iloilo Province, located at the Ground Floor, VIP Lounge of Festive Walk Mall, Mandurriao district, Iloilo City.
Tabaquirao said he waited until the last day of COC filing because he was hoping that a worthy opponent would emerge to challenge Garin.
However, he said, when it became clear that no one else was stepping forward, he decided to file his candidacy to give voters in the 1st District an alternative choice.
Tabaquirao served as mayor for nine years, vice mayor for six years, and Sangguniang Bayan member for three years in Tubungan.
If candidates with pending cases are allowed to file COCs, then he has all the more reason to run, pointing out his 18 years of unblemished service in government as a strong qualification.
He expressed confidence in his chances against Garin, citing his performance in the May 2022 elections, where he garnered 30,000 votes.
Tabaquirao expects to gain even more support in the 2025 elections, believing that voters will choose a candidate with a clean track record over one facing legal challenges./PN
