BACOLOD CITY — Mayor Evelio Leonardia has welcomed the two challengers to his re-election bid in the May 2019 elections.
“I cannot choose my opponents. Whoever are my opponents, I will still do the same. I will campaign for myself. We’ll wait and see,” Leonardia said here Wednesday.
On Tuesday, former councilor and lawyer Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, and radio broadcaster Ray Carmona filed their respective certificates of candidacy (COCs) for mayor.
Batapa-Sigue, executive director of the Bacolod-Negros Occidental Federation for Information and Communications Technology and vice president of the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines, is running as an independent candidate, but she has been adopted by the Asenso para sa Buas-damlag sang Bacolodnon-Magbinuligay Kita sa Kauswagan (ABB-MKK), led by former mayor Monico Puentevella, who is running for congressman this time.
Carmona is a former member of MKK, who previously ran for councilor but lost.
In 2016, Leonardia, who was then a congressman, challenged Puentevella for mayor and won, frustrating the latter’s bid for a second term.
Leonardia, who filed his COC on the first day of filing last Oct. 11, said that whether he has an opponent or not, his concern is his own line-up since he wants all the candidates of the ruling Grupo Progreso to win.
“If you give us 15-0, Grupo Progreso will take responsibility. We will give you peace, unity and prosperity,” he said.
Leonardia is seeking re-election along with allies Rep. Greg Gasataya and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
