Alvarez seeks reelection as Davao del Norte congressman

Pantaleon Alvarez—INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

DAVAO CITY — Former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for reelection as Davao del Norte first district representative, a move that will pit him against the Floirendo-backed Del Rosario political clan.

The red shirt-clad Alvarez went to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial office in Tagum City and formalized his reelection bid shortly before noon.

Alvarez’s fellow candidates under the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) had submitted their COCs ahead of him on the last day of the filing.

Alvarez will face Gov. Antonio Rafael del Rosario, a candidate of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) party founded by presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is also seeking reelection for mayor of Davao City.

Del Rosario filed his congressional bid on Tuesday.

The former House Speaker called his reelection bid an appointment with history. He said he was happy Del Rosario would be his challenger.

“Today is the start of our long journey to liberate Davao del Norte from the clutches of the Floirendo-Del Rosario political dynasty,” Alvarez said.

The Del Rosarios, which have been in Davao del Norte politics for nearly four decades, are related to the Floirendos.

Their patriarch, former Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, serves as the HNP’s provincial campaign manager.

Alvarez said he was confident the PDP-Laban slate would prevail over Ms. Duterte’s HNP, even if their gubernatorial bet – Edwin Jubahib, an engineer and Alvarez’s chief aide – was relatively a “political greenhorn.”

“I think it’s (the HNP bets) who need to work hard. I have been to all barangays in my district and I can feel the warmth of the people,” he said.

Jubahib’s running-mate is former Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy, who would be up against HNP’s Raymond Joey Millan, a lawyer who is in his last term as Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial board) member.

Uy was formerly with the HNP but had switched to PDP-Laban over disagreements with the HNP provincial leadership.

In the second district, which covers the cities of Panabo and Samal, Vice Gov.  Alan Dujali of PDP-Laban will challenge re-electionist Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr.  /kga