Party-list solon takes another route to House

Kasangga party list Rep. Teodorico Haresco. Photo from https://www.congress.gov.ph

ILOILO CITY, Philippines—A party-list representative has decided to take the normal route to a seat in the House of Representatives, filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) for representative in the lone district of Aklan in a bid apparently supported by the ruling Liberal Party (LP).

Rep. Teodorico Haresco, of the party list Kasangga, filed his COC for congressman as an independent, however.

Haresco, wearing the LP color yellow, came with LP candidates and hundreds of LP members and supporters, including Rep. Florencio Miraflores and Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez.

Miraflores is on his third and last term as congressman and filed his COC for governor. Marquez, also on his last term as governor, opted to be the first nominee of Kasangga.

Marquez, a recent LP recruit, had planned to run for congressman had Congress been able to pass a bill creating a second district in Aklan.

Miraflores, LP chair in Aklan and first cousin of Haresco, said while Haresco is an independent candidate, the Kasangga leader will not face any opposition from the LP, which will not field any candidate for congressman.

Haresco, according to Miraflores, is an ally of the LP through the local party Tibyog Akean, which also counts among its members reelectionist Vice Gov. Gabrielle Calizo-Quimpo of the Nacionalista Party.

Haresco’s main opponent is Antonio Maming, mayor of Banga town and member of the United Nationalist Alliance of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Haresco’s Kasangga became controversial after the group Kontra Daya identified it as among several party lists that do not represent the marginalized sectors.