DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 12 Oct) – Resigned Vice Mayor Paolo “Pulong” Duterte filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) as representative of the first congressional district of Davao City while former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa filed his candidacy for senator on Friday.
The former vice mayor, accompanied by sister Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and her husband lawyer Manases Carpio, filed his candidacy at 12:10 p.m. at the office of the Commission of Elections (COMELEC) Davao in Magsaysay Park under Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (Hugpong), the local party of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Duterte’s decision to run for a post in the House of Representatives was firmed up after getting the approval of his family after planning for it for several months, he said.
Before his stint as vice mayor, the 43-year-old former city official served as barangay chair of Catalunan Grande in the city’s first district from 2007 to 2013 and head of the Association Barangay Councils of Davao City from 2008 to 2013.
But the presidential son said he has not had the chance to talk with his father, who arrived at F. Bangoy International Airport from Bali Indonesia early Friday, about his plan of running for a post in the Lower House.
The former vice mayor announced his resignation from his post on December 25, 2017 citing “delicadeza” for his decision.
He and his brother-in-law, Manases Carpio, were among those implicated as members of the so-called Davao Group which was reportedly behind the P6.4-billion shabu smuggling in May 2017.
Meanwhile, Mayor Duterte did not file her COC yet. The mayor, who landed in the top 12 of the recent senatorial surveys with Dela Rosa, maintained that she is not running for a national post because she wants to seek for reelection as mayor of Davao.
According to CNN Philippines, Dela Rosa filed his COC around 11 a.m. at the COMELEC main office in Intramuros, Manila. He was deemed resigned from his position as Director General of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
“I feel that this is where I should be, this is where I can help best the administration of President Duterte… The administration of Duterte needs support here in Davao City and Davao Region, that’s why we are here,” the mayor said.
The mayor said she had already picked her choice for the vice mayor but did not disclose yet until their filing of COCs on Monday. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
