Who will be filing their COCs and when?

By: Delta Dyrecka Letigio, Futch Anthony Inso, Mary Rose S. Sagarino - 3 years ago

Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr. will be the first to file his Certificate of Candidacy for the 2022 elections at the Provincial Capitol on October 1, 2021. | file photo via Talisay City PIO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — There is no definite schedule yet as to when Cebu’s top political officials and aspiring candidates will be filing their Certificate of Candidacies (COC) in the next coming days, but some of them have, this early, signified their plans.

The filing of candidacies will begin at 8 a.m. on October 1, 2021, and will end at 5 p.m. on October 8, 2021. In this one-week period, it is expected that political aspirants and re-electionists will flock to every Commission on Election (Comelec) office to file their COCs.

To jumpstart the filing, Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas is expected to file his candidacy at the Provincial Capitol on the very first day, October 1, 2021.

Rumors have spread that he may be Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s running mate as vice-governor of the province, but reliable sources told CDN Digital that Gullas may be running for a congressional seat in the province’s first district, instead.

A gathering will be held at the Mohon Church on Friday morning with incumbent First District Representative Eduardo Gullas, the mayor’s grandfather; Rhea Gullas, the mayor’s wife; Digul Gullas, the mayor’s brother; and the other chief executives of the towns and cities under the First District of Cebu prior to Mayor Samsam’s filing.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has not yet revealed the exact date for his filing of candidacy but it is expected that Team Mandaue will be filing their COCs together as a united slate.

For Consolacion town, the son and mother tandem of Mayor Johannes Alegades and Vice Mayor Teresa Alegado are expected to file their candidacies on October 7 or 8, 2021. It is not yet clear if the administration party will be filing their COCs together.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan will be filing his candidacy on October 8, 2021, as well. He will be revealing the full slate of the PDP Laban in Lapu-Lapu City on that day.

As for Chan’s rival, Congresswoman Paz Radaza, she has not revealed the schedule for the filing of her COC yet.

Rumors abound that Radaza may fight Chan head-on in the 2022 elections as a mayoral candidate, but the possibility remains that she will seek reelection as Lapu-Lapu’s sole district representative.

In Cebu City, the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) confirmed that the entire slate will be filing together on a yet undisclosed date.

Although unconfirmed until now, incumbent Second District Representative Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa may be leading the team as the mayoral candidate with incumbent ex-officio Councilor Franklyn Ong, the president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), running beside him for vice mayor.

“Magdungan mi tanan next week. No definite date and arrangements pa,” said Abellanosa in a text message to CDN Digital.

The city’s administration party, Barug-PDP Laban, has not revealed the date of their filing as well but since its standard-bearer, Acting Mayor Michael Rama, will be holding his regular press briefing on Friday, October 1, 2021, the date may be announced then.

Councilor David Tumulak, who is reported to be running independently either as a vice mayor or as a congressman in the South District, also confirmed that he will be filing his candidacy next week.

As for the provincial gubernatorial race, neither Governor Gwendolyn Garcia nor her now political opponent, former Tourism Secretary Ace Durano has revealed the dates for their filing of the COC. /rcg