WITH no political machine to back them up, a retired prosecutor, and a laborer joined early bird aspirants in filing their certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu provincial office yesterday.
Juan Umacob Arenasa, a 62-year-old laborer and former security guard of barangay Mabolo submitted his COC as an independent candidate for Cebu City’s north district at 10:05 a.m.
Comelec officer Edwin Cadungog of Cebu City’s south district said this was the sixth time Aranesa ran for public office after losing bids for the city’s mayoralty and vice mayoralty posts.
If he wins, Arenasa said all urban poor families in Cebu would not have to pay their electric bills.
He’s up against another independent candidate, 54-year-old Pablo “Junex” Doronio Jr., who said he was a journalist from barangay Day-as, Cebu City but didn’t state what media outlet he belongs to.
In his Facebook account, Doronio said he is ready to run against “giant” candidates like the del Mars and talent manager Annabelle Rama
“Like the biblical David, I firmly believe that nothing is impossible with our living God,” he said.
Joining him in the north district race is 65-year-old retired Assistant Regional State Prosecutor Vicente Mañalac, 65, of barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City.
Mañalac told the Comelec officer he wanted to help poor litigants by lowering their filing fees and ease the requirements in securing the services of the Public Attorney’s office.
In Talisay City, retired public school teacher Teodoro Restauro Bascon was unable to complete his requirements for filing his COC for his planned run at a council seat.
He previously ran and lost his bid for the Provincial Board.
The Comelec offices in the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Talisay, Toledo and Bogo along with the town of Pinamungajan confirmed that no one had filed COCs so far.
Comelec offices will be opened from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. to accept COCs until the Friday deadline, said Regional Comelec director Temie Lambino. Correspondents Jhunnex Napallacan, Edison delos Angeles and Gabriel C. Bonjoc