FILING OF CANDIDACY. Personnel of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Albay check the certificate of candidacy of a political aspirant filed through his representative at the Capitol Annex Building in Legazpi City on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Comelec-Albay urged all those running for various positions not to wait until the last day on Oct. 8 to file their COC. (Contributed photo)
LEGAZPI CITY — Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda on Tuesday filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for provincial governor through his representative, lawyer Rodolfo Bonafe Jr.
In an interview, Bonafe said they support the guidelines of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to make the filing of COCs for the May 12, 2025 elections simple and solemn.
“The message wanted to be conveyed by Joey Salceda here is to show that we support the Comelec. Before the Comelec office opens, I’m already here waiting to express our enthusiasm for this democratic process. This is not just a mere symbolism but to show the intention to serve the people of Albay,” he said.
Salceda is a member of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) political party.
READ: LIVE UPDATES: Day 2 filing of certificates of candidacy for 2025 polls
In Camarines Sur, members of the Villafuerte family filed their COCs for various positions simultaneously at the provincial office in Pili town.
Luis Raymund Villafuerte, 2nd District Representative, and his son, Gov. Vincenzo Renato Luigi Villafuerte, seek to switch posts.
Rep. Miguel Luis Villafuerte of the 5th District seeks a second term, while actor Marco Gumabao also filed his candidacy for the province’s 4th district representative.
In Sorsogon, Gov. Jose Edwin Hamor filed his COC along with some allies from the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
Meanwhile, Comelec-Bicol recorded 18,739 voter registrations in the six provinces during the last day of application on Monday.
Camarines Sur registered the highest number with 6,556; Albay with 3,980; Masbate with 3,059; Sorsogon with 2,126; Camarines Norte with 2,087; and Catanduanes with 931.
In a separate interview on Tuesday, Albay election supervisor Ma. Aurea Bo-Bunao said they received the highest number of voter registrations on the last day compared to their record in the past seven months.
“People tend to go during the last day. It’s maybe the culture that is already embedded in Filipinos. It’s a little bit frustrating since this morning, some are here to apply for registration. We also conducted various initiatives to encourage more voters to register,” she said. (PNA)