Father, son tandem gun for mayor, vice mayor seats in Lucena

Mayor Roderick Alcala (left) and his son Mark Alcala. /Photo courtesy of Roderick “Dondon” Alcala’s Facebook Page

LUCENA CITY––A son-and-father team will vie for the mayoral and vice-mayoral seats in the May 2022 polls in this city.

Arnel Avila, Lucena city public information officer, said incumbent Mayor Roderick Alcala would be the vice mayoral tandem of his son, Mark, who is seeking to replace his father in the May 2022 local polls.

Mark, 25, is the eldest son of Roderick, now on his last term as local chief executive.

“I was given permission yesterday to make this official announcement that the vice mayor of Kuya Mark Alcala is no other than … Mayor Roderick ‘Dondon’ Alcala,” Avila announced Tuesday morning on his radio and television program.

When this correspondent sought Roderick for confirmation through his mobile phone, the mayor said: “It will become official once I file my COC (certificate of candidacy) as a vice mayor candidate on Friday.” The 49-year-old mayor declined to provide more information.

Avila said, in a text message, that the father and his son had yet to decide on their political party for the 2022 elections.

Roderick is known in this city as a political ally of Gov. Danilo Suarez and his son David, representative of the province’s 2nd district.

Roderick’s sudden inclusion in the city political race was prompted by the vice gubernatorial candidacy of his cousin Anacleto Alcala III.

Anacleto, who filed Sunday his COC as the vice governor candidate of Rep. Helen Tan, took the residents in this city by surprise.

Tan, who also filed her COC, will be running against Governor Suarez,
who is expected to bid for reelection.

Anacleto has long been reported as the vice mayoral tandem of his nephew, Mark.

Anacleto and Roderick’s fathers are siblings, sons of the late Quezon governor Anacleto Alcala.

Anacleto has yet to explain his sudden change of political plan.

Quezon Board Member Romano Talaga, son of former city mayor Ramon Talaga, has declared on social media that he would contest the mayoral seat in Lucena. However, he has yet to declare his candidacy for vice mayor.

Incumbent Vice Mayor Philip Castillo has also declared in numerous forums that he was aspiring to replace Roderick.

Both Talaga and Castillo have yet to file their respective COCs.

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