DARAGA, Albay – Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for mayor of this town on Wednesday.
Beating the last day of COC filing, Batocabe was at the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) office here at about 10 a.m.
The lawmaker, who is serving his last term as AKB representative, is running under the National Unity Party (NUP).
He will challenge incumbent town mayor Carlwyn Baldo and vice mayor Victor Perete, who also decided to run for mayor.
Political observers said the mayoral contest here would be a three-cornered fight among the three officials.
Batocabe is principal author/co-author of a number of important laws, among them Republic Act (RA) No. 10692 (Modernization of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration); RA 10687 (A Comprehensive and Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education); and RA 10679 (Promoting Entrepreneurship and Financial Education among Filipino Youth). (Mar Serrano/PNA)