Salceda changes political plan, decides to run for congress

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

PASAY CITY – The elections for local positions in Albay in 2016 appeared to be one smooth sailing for its leading political personalities as they will all be running either unopposed or without any significant threat.

This developed after Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and the congressional representatives in the province agreed to form a “unity ticket” that would allow all of them to seek posts “unchallenged,” including  Salceda who had agreed to run for the second district congressional seat.

Salceda earlier announced he would not seek any elective post in 2016 to focus on the presidential campaign of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the Liberal Party’s standard bearer.

But on Sunday, Salceda said a consensus was decided along with the three incumbent district and two partylist congressman of Albay that he would run for the second district congressional seat to bring unity among political leaders in Albay.

Salceda was interviewed here after he led on Sunday some 200 provincial officials and employees of Albay in a Unity Walk for promoting inclusive participation in local governance at the SMX convention center in Pasay City hosted by the Department of Interior and Local Government(DILG).

Salceda said they also agreed to form a “Unity Ticket” where all elective position – from governor, vice governor, congressmen, city and town mayors belonging to the Liberal Party and its coalition parties – would run “unchallenged.”

Salceda said incumbent Albay Representatives Edcel “Grex” Lagman (LP, first district), Al Francis Bichara (Nationalista Party, second district) and Fernando Gonzalez (LP, third district); and Ako Bicol (AKB) party list Representatives Christopher Co and Rodel Batocabe all agreed to form the unity ticket.

Under the “Unity Ticket,” the alliance will field Bichara for governor while Salceda will seek the post to be vacated by Bichara. Both Bichara and Salceda are last term representative and governor, respectively.

Gonzalez and Lagman will seek reelection in their respective posts.

Co, who had initially planned to run for the second district congressional seat, agreed to instead go for re-election under the AKB party list banner.

Salceda, who chairs the LP in Albay, said he was convinced that his participation in the local electoral process would be the best way to unite all leading political leaders in the province.

Running under one ticket “would lead to a positive political development with a vision … aimed at an inclusive growth of Albay,” said Salceda.