Outgoing South Cotabato lawman files bid for gubernatorial post

KORONADAL CITY—Outgoing South Cotabato Rep. and House Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez of the ruling PDP-Laban is running for governor of the province in the 2022 elections.

Hernandez, who is in his third and last term as second district representative, filed on Tuesday his certificate of candidacy (COC) in this city along with his party slate.

He will be running against Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr., a stalwart of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.

Tamayo, former three-term mayor of Tupi town, defeated former governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes, who served the province for three decades as governor and congresswoman.

Avance-Fuentes is seeking a comeback for the second district congressional post that Hernandez will vacate in 2022.

She joined Hernandez during the COC filing and would be up against Koronadal City Vice Mayor Peter Miguel, the city’s previous mayor for three terms.

Hernandez’s running mate is Vice Gov. Vicente de Jesus.

In the first congressional district, Hernandez’s party is fielding Danny Nograles, a businessman and husband of First District Rep. Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles. She is running for mayor of General Santos City.

Outgoing General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera is running for representative of the city’s lone Congressional district.

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