Two congressional, three mayoralty, one vice mayoralty candidate including 12 candidates running for councilors filed their certificates of candidacy at the Comelec Office in Bacolod City yesterday.

They include the "mystery candidate" of the Nationalist People's Coalition, former president Eddie Guillem, of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative, who filed his COC at the Comelec Office at past 8 p.m. last night after he was sworn in by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia as a new member of the NPC. This makes him the 12th candidate of the Grupo Progreso of the NPC for councilor whom Leonardia had earlier referred to as their "mystery candidate."

Others who filed their COC's yesterday were the members of the Team Performance led by Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, congressional candidate Andy Hagad and mayoralty candidates Oscar Verdeflor and Joel Dojillo.

Hagad and Dojillo are running as independent candidates, while Verdeflor is running under the Liberal Party.

Puentevella's team, which he refers to as the "Lucky 13," includes mayoralty candidate Luzviminda Valdez, vice mayoralty candidate Elmer Sy, and their candidates for councilors, namely Nanette Garcia, El Cid Familiaran, Nikki Puentevella, Andre Victor Las Piñas, Bobbie Lucasan, Loreto Dilag, Inocencio Ferrer, Marvin Tañada, and incumbent Councilors Reynold Iledan and Catalino Alisbo.

Edgardo Dahili was the last to file his COC as an independent councilor before the 12 midnight deadline last night.

Guillem, who arrived in Manila Wednesday after spending a vacation in the United States, said he decided to run because he was prodded by his supporters and barangay captains to expose how a certain politician in Bacolod had maneuvered his termination from CENECO.

He said he wants to expose what those behind his termination have done so he will be vindicated. "I want to inform our consumers that I did not abandon CENECO but I continued to serve," he said.

Guillem said there was nothing he could do, being a simple public servant, against a powerful congressman. He said he was terminated from CENECO, not because of irregularities, but because the Board stood for a cause to stabilize the power supply in Bacolod by putting up a substation.

He said he was one of those who signed and executed a contract for the acquisition of a 30MVA substation transformer, with the approval of the Board. It was a Board action and he is wondering why only he alone was terminated, he added.

Guillem said he had received information that only one person was responsible for his termination since he will not bow down or be dictated to by him. He said he joined the Grupo Progreso because it has an objective to get rid of a politician who abuses his power and wants to get involved in all the projects and establishments for his vested interest.

Guillem said he wants to expose this person, who pretends to be a public servant, when in fact he abuses his power and does things to disturb and block the progress of the city.

Meanwhile, Verdeflor said he believes he will win the elections because his advantage over other mayoralty candidates is that they have many problems while he has none. He said "Mayor Oca" is the word of today and tomorrow so his opponents should campaign harder because he is confident that he will win. Verdeflor, who was accompanied yesterday by his wife, Barbara and lawyer Nilo Sorbito, said he will not buy votes during his campaigns in the barangays and puroks. He said he has the support of the tricycle and trisikad drivers.

Hagad said he is optimistic he has better chances of winning this time. He also ran in 2001 and 2004 as a congressional candidate.

Hagad said he hopes the practice of vote-buying will be stopped because it is not good for the candidates, the country and everybody.

Dojillo said he believes the independent candidates can make it this time because of the frustration of the people, which is not only felt in the local level, but in the national level as well.

He said he decided to run for mayor upon hearing the people say that they have no candidates to choose from.

He said this time he is running without any patrons and without money and will only be relying on the judgment of the people.*CGS

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