Former representative Julio Ledesma IV last night said he is running for congressman of the first district of Negros Occidental under the Lakas CMD ticket and bears no ill will against anyone for not being chosen the official candidate of the Nationalist People's Coalition to which he belongs.

The NPC named Rep. Tranquilino Carmona its official congressional candidate for the first district, but Ledesma said that, as far as he knows, the solon was a KAMPI member in good standing until March 1. Ledesma, who finally broke his long silence in the media, told the DAILY STAR he had a gentleman's agreement with Carmona in 2001 that in 2007 it would be his turn to run for congressman, but the solon did not honor it.

But he said he is not angry with anybody. "In fact I'm happy because every step of the way I did not do anything wrong and in the end the Lord provided."

Now the people will chose "46-79", which is his battle cry, he said. He is 46 years old and his opponent is 79, he pointed out.

Aside from his wife, movie star Assunta de Rossi, he said his mother-in-law Nenita, and sister-in-law Alessandra are campaigning for him.

Then, after May 14, he and his wife will work on having a baby. "It's country first, family next," he said. Asked what she would say to convince people to vote for her husband, Assunta said he's cute and his track record will speak for itself.

A lot of people don't know what he does because he does not like publicity, he said.

Asked if having Assunta will provide him with an edge over Carmona, Ledesma said "I won three elections for congressman in 1995, 1998 and 2001 before I met my wife. That she's with me, that's icing, that's frosting, been there done that."

Ledesma said his goal is to continue to develop the first district as an agro-industrial base and a center of enterprise.

The agenda is all set, he said, pointing out that San Carlos City is the only Local Government Unit with a comprehensive integrated 20-year master development plan that has already been adopted by the city.

If elected, he said, he will push for the completion of the San Carlos airport, and noted that the bio-ethanol plant in the city is the first anchor project to further boost the development of the first district.

Ledesma filed his certificate of candidacy before provincial election head Jessie Suarez at 6:35 last night on his arrival from Manila with his wife, and proceeded to his district to join his allies in filing their CoCs at the local COMELEC offices there.

Renato Gustilo, who is running for board member of the first district under the Lakas NUCD with Ledesma, also filed his CoC last night.

Ledesma said his second board member candidate for the first district is Nehemias de la Cruz Jr.

De La Cruz on Wednesday filed his CoC for board member under the NPC and said he is running under the ticket of Carmona.

Aside from Carmona and Ledesma, also running for congressman of the first district is Ernesto Lindogan Librando of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino.*CPG

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