Leyte polls Leyte polls
TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla formally filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) on Monday, October 7, marking his bid for a second term as governor.
Since the start of the filing of CoC last Oct.1, no other candidate has filed for the position of Leyte governor, according to records from the provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Gov. Petilla was accompanied by his running mate, incumbent Vice Governor Leonardo Javier, and other candidates vying for provincial board seats and mayoral ship.
Petilla is seeking re-election under the Nacionalist People’s Coalition (NPC), which is part of a broader coalition aligned with President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.
When asked about his priorities if re-elected, Gov. Petilla emphasized his focus on enhancing agricultural productivity, with a particular emphasis on modern technology to aid local farmers.
“Inflation is one of the country’s biggest challenges, including here in Leyte. Agriculture plays a significant role in this. The cost of everything is rising, but food prices, in particular, have seen the biggest surge,” Petilla said after filing his CoC.
“That’s why we need to invest in agriculture and use modern technology to make it more competitive and sustainable,” he added.
In a related development, John ‘Jolo’ Lorenz Romualdez, nephew of House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez, has also filed his CoC, this time for the mayoralty race in Tolosa, the Romualdez family’s hometown.
John Lorenz, who submitted his CoC on Saturday (Oct.5) is running under the banner of the Aksiyon Demokratiko, the same party that fielded Manila mayoral candidate Isko Moreno in the last presidential election. Moreno was one of the candidates defeated by President Marcos, John Lorenz’s uncle.
Despite being related to the influential Romualdez family, the younger Romualdez noted that he respected the “equity of the incumbent” principle, which prevents his candidacy under the administration’s banner.
He will be facing off against incumbent Mayor Erwin Ocaña, who has the support of Speaker Romualdez.
John Lorenz’s father, Fidel, is a cousin of Speaker Romualdez, whose congressional district includes the town of Tolosa.
Explaining his decision to run, John Lorenz Romualdez expressed his desire to uplift Tolosa’s economic status.
“It’s unfortunate that Tolosa remains a poor municipality. I hope to attract investors and create opportunities for our people,” he said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA/ROEL T.AMAZONA)
