Ex-Quezon solon files COC in bid to regain old post

LUCENA CITY – Former Quezon Rep. Vicente Alcala on Tuesday filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) as a returning candidate for congressman in the province’s second district.

“Ang inyo pong lingkod ay nagbabalik sa segunda distrito upang ibalik ang Serbisyong Subok na,” Vicente announced on his Facebook page.

(Your public servant is coming back to the second district to give you once again our tried and true service.)

His daughter Vinnette also filed her COC for provincial board member in the same district.

Vicente, who served as district representative in Congress in 2016 to 2019, will run under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) to contest the reelection bid of incumbent Representative David Suarez who filed his COC on Monday.

Lucena City, the provincial capital, is part of the 2nd district. However, Vicente could not count on the support from his nephew, incumbent city Mayor Roderick Alcala. The mayor is a known political ally of Suarez.

Roderick’s father and Vicente are first cousins.

Vicente’s filing of his COC will put to rest the political talks in the district that his younger brother, Proceso, will seek a rematch against David in the coming election.

Proceso can still replace Vicente as the NPC candidate for the said post by substitution.

The Commission on Elections has scheduled November 15 as the last day of filing of the COC by a substitute if the original party candidate has withdrawn or died, or has been disqualified.

David, former Quezon governor, defeated Proceso, who once served as congressman in the same district and former agriculture secretary during the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III, in 2019 congressional election.

In the same election, Vicente also lost to incumbent Governor Danilo Suarez, David’s father, in the gubernatorial race.

Vicente’s candidacy has completed the NPC congressional slate in the province.

On Sunday, when Quezon Rep. Angelina “Helen” Tan (NPC, 4th District), the titular head of the opposition in the province, filed her COC for the provincial governor, running against Danilo, she was accompanied by the NPC candidates for congress in the province’s 1st, 3rd, and 4th districts but without the bet for the 2nd district.

The NPC’s congressional bets are reelectionist Representative Mark Enverga in the 1st district; incumbent provincial board member Reynante Arrogancia, 3rd; and lawyer Mike Tan, Helen’s son, who will seek to replace her in the 4th District.

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JPV