Quezon gov Danilo Suarez seeks reelection

LUCENA CITY—Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez filed Wednesday his certificate of candidacy (COC) to formalize his bid for a second term in the 2022 elections.

The governor arrived around 10:30 a.m. at the Commission on Elections–Quezon office at Lucena City hall building with his running mate, Betty Nantes.

Suarez will run under the Lakas-CMD party. Betty belongs to Aksyon Demokratiko.

“I have just one guiding light in this coming election. All, including my political foe, have one common enemy now and maybe for the next two more years,” Danilo said in an interview after he filed his COC. He was referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added: “It’s paramount that it is best (for all of us) to confront our common enemy.”

Betty vowed to help Suarez promote the welfare of Quezon residents if elected.

“Kapag ang governor at vice governor ay nagkakasundo, tiyak ang tao ang panalo,” she said in a separate interview.

(When the governor and vice governor agree with each other, the people win.)

She also pledged to pursue the unfinished task of her husband, the late congressman, and Quezon governor Rafael Nantes, through development projects and programs.

The Suarez-Nantes tandem is a continuation of the political alliance between former political foe-turned-ally.

Betty, former director of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is the mother of Sam, the incumbent provincial vice governor now on his last term and will gun for the mayor’s seat in Tayabas City.

In 1997, Danilo’s son, David, now a reelectionist congressman in the 2nd district, lost in the race for governor to Rafael.

In a rematch in 2010, David defeated Rafael.

A week after the election, Rafael and five others died when their private helicopter crashed in a subdivision on the outskirts of Lucena City a few minutes after taking off.

The alliance started in the 2019 elections when Danilo and Sam ran and won as a tandem.

Danilo faces a challenge from Rep. Angelina “Helen” Tan (NPC, 4th District). She filed her COC last Sunday.

Betty and Tan’s running mate, Lucena Councilor Anacleto Alcala III, will fight for the vice governor seat.

A source from the Suarez camp claimed that they have the support of at least 31 mayors from Quezon’s 41 municipalities.

“The 28 mayors personally pledged their support during a meeting in Unisan town last week. Another two failed to come due to pressing concern, but they have also declared their supports as longtime allies,” said the informant, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak to the media.

Lucena Mayor Roderick Alcala is also a political ally of the reelectionist governor.

Danilo, 78, is the patriarch of the Suarez political clan.

His wife, Aleta, is seeking reelection as representative of the province’s 3rd district, the Suarez bailiwick.

David’s wife, Anna, is the Alona partylist representative. Alona stands for Alliance of Organizations, Networks, and Associations.

Another son of Danilo, Jet, is also seeking reelection as a provincial board member, while another son, Junjun, will again target the mayor’s seat in Unisan town.

Danilo once brushed off the tag that his family is a “political dynasty.”

“We’re not a dynasty. It’s more of political destiny,” he insisted.

Suarez further argued: “Besides, at the end of the day, it is the people who will vote and decide the outcome of the elections and not the politicians.”