The Nationalist People’s Coalition has appointed Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia as the party’s district chairman for the Lone District of Bacolod City.

The party confirmed the appointment of Leonardia in a letter dated September 13, 2012 signed by Frisco San Juan, Faustino Dy Jr., and Rep. Mark Leandro Mendoza, NPC president, chairman and secretary general, respectively.

In a separate letter, addressed to the Law Department of the Commission on Elections in Manila, Dy submitted the name and specimen signature of Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, who was designated NPC city chairperson, as authorized signatory for the party’s official Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance.

This is a requirement of the COMELEC under its Resolution No. 9518, Section 6, Filing of Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance of Official Candidates of a Political Party/Coalition of Political Parties.

Sayson, who celebrated his birthday yesterday, said that, as NPC city chairman, he is supposed to sign all the papers of the councilors and vice mayor as NPC members.

He will also sign the ID’s of the watchers and receive the officials returns, he said.

Sayson said they have an arrangement that the selection of their line-up will be decided by the party as a whole. That is why their choice for vice mayor is still pending, until after the gathering of the NPC on Saturday.

Asked if Leonardia will be the standard bearer of the party for congressman, Sayson said the matter might be announced Saturday.

He said their line-up will go through a selection process and things will become clearer then.

For now, they have incumbent Councilors Caesar Distrito, Em Ang, Mona Dia Jardin, Carlos Jose Lopez and Roberto Rojas or the “Five Stars”, and there are returning councilors like Greg Gastaya and Alex Paglumotan, and two new ones, with whom they are finalizing negotiations, Sayson said.

They are also eyeing two probable candidates but are still waiting the guidelines from the NPC-Nationalist Party, he said.

Meanwhile, Sayson, when asked for his birthday wish yesterday, said he is not only wishing for good health for him and his family but for everybody.

He also wishes that Bacolod will continue to progress and that it will remain peaceful and will have more businesses coming in.

Sayson said he also hopes to continue serving the people if given a chance after 2013.

He said he never realized he would be joining politics after he graduated from college since he just wanted to live a simple life.

But because of the calling of the people, especially his constituents in Brgy. Sum-ag, he became barangay captain, Sayson said.

“But I did not regret it. I am happy where I am now,” he said.

Sayson said he is also happy with the people he had helped like the scholars, and happy that he has done something to help change the lives of people in Bacolod.

“I hope the people will continue to support me in 2013 so I can continue serving them, specifically as mayor of Bacolod,” he added.*CGS

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