The Nationalist People’s Coalition-Grupo Progreso's official candidates in Bacolod City for the May 2013 elections will file their certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections today after a mass at the San Sebastian Cathedral.

The party will file a complete slate for congressman, mayor, vice mayor and 12 councilors.

Before proceeding to the COMELEC, the candidates together with their supporters will hear a mass at the San Sebastian Cathedral at 1:30 p.m., after which, they will march as one solid group to the COMELEC Office at the BAYS Center area.

The line-up is headed by incumbent City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who is running for congressman, and Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and Bacolod City Water District director and three-termer Councilor Greg Gasataya, who are running for mayor and vice mayor, respectively.

The 12 candidates for councilors are incumbent Councilors Em Legaspi-Ang, Caesar Distrito, Carlos Jose Lopez, Mona Dia Jardin, and Roberto Rojas, former councilor Alex Paglumotan, former Central Negros Electric Cooperative president Ed Guillem, businessmen Andy Leonardia, Chito Jalandoni, Bart Orola, and Migs Estrella, and youth leader Israel Salanga.

Jalandoni,AndyLeonardia and Salanga are neophytes in politics.

Meanwhile, the Nacionalista Party has endorsed Distrito and Lopez in their re-election bid in the City of Bacolod in the 2013 election, including Estrella who is running for councilor.

This was confirmed by Fe Rebancos, NP Area Coordinator for Bacolod City, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, who is also the official representative of NP president and Senator Manny Villar.

Distrito, Estrella and Lopez expressed their gratitude to the NP National hierarchy for their trust and confidence in them with the party endorsement and vowed to take the NP banner and principles in their re-election bid.

The three were also NP candidates in the 2010 election and have committed to stay with the party through thick and thin.

Distrito said they have decided to be stick to the NP since they believe in its advocacy and platforms of transparency, good governance, self-reliance and job generation.

He said Rebancos also informed him that the local NP group is free to join forces with any local political group, although the NP has a partnership with the Liberal Party and Nationalist People's Coalition in the national level.*CGS

back to top