Brothers-in-law team-up to run for mayor, vice mayor in Bocaue

The brother-in-law tandem. Former Bocaue Mayor Eduardo “JJV” Villanueva Jr. and former CIBAC Partylist Rep. Atty. Sherwin Tugna, widower of late Bocaue Mayor Joni Villanueva as mayoralty and vice mayoralty tandem under the National Unity Party (NUP). INQUIRER photo / Carmela Reyes-Estrope

BOCAUE, Bulacan–A brothers-in-law tandem is gunning for the mayoralty and vice mayoralty post in the upcoming 2022 polls here in a bid to continue the legacy of late Mayor Joni Villanueva who died of an ailment last year.

Former Mayor Eduardo “JJV” Villanueva Jr., oldest brother of the late mayor and her husband lawyer and former Citizens Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) party-list Representative Sherwin Tugna filed their respective certificates of candidacy (COC) with their eight councilors on Thursday, October 7.

Villanueva said their team’s fight is for his late sister to continue all the legacy projects she initiated.

The late mayor is credited for the construction of the first public hospital in Bocaue.

The hospital was named after her — the Mayor Joni Villanueva Memorial Hospital — and inaugurated during her first death anniversary last May 28. It is a COVID-19 treatment facility for mild and moderate cases.

The Mayor Joni Villanueva Molecular Laboratory was also initiated by the mayor before she died and, eventually, also named after her.

Another of her legacy infrastructure projects was the Ciudad de Victoria Interchange and Overpass along the North Luzon Expressway, an alternate road that connects MacArthur highway to Sta. Maria, built to help address the traffic between these areas because of the narrow Bocaue interchange. It was just inaugurated last week.

A P100 million worth sports oval, bleacher, stage, a 15-room, three story building and a covered court in Congressman Erasmo Cruz Memorial Central School in this town, that were also inaugurated last week, were also brainchild projects of the late mayor.

All the projects were achieved for the people of Bocaue through the help and support of the late mayor’s elder brother Senator Joel Villanueva.

Tugna said he is just an addition to the family’s love and dedicated service to the people of Bocaue.

The tandem is a son and son-in-law of Jesus Is Lord Bishop Eddie Villanueva who is also the current CIBAC party-list representative.

JPV