Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and her running mate, incumbent Cebu 6th District Provincial Board Member Glenn Anthony Soco, raise their hands as they vie for the gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial race in Cebu in the 2025 midterm elections. | CDN Digital photo / Morexette Marie Erram
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The tandem between Gwendolyn Garcia and Glenn Anthony Soco is back.
Soco on Tuesday, October 8, formally submitted his bid in the vice gubernatorial race for Cebu province in the 2025 midterm elections.
He filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) just hours after Garcia lodged hers.
READ: Gwen Garcia files COC for Cebu governor but no runningmate yet
When Garcia filed her reelection bid at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, she has not revealed who will be her runningmate yet.
But at precisely 4:31 p.m. – or 29 minutes before the deadline of the filing of COC was up – Soco lodged his candidacy.
READ: Junjun Davide to run for Congress instead
Soco is currently serving his last term as a member of the Provincial Board for Cebu’s 6th District.
This is not the first time that Soco became Garcia’s runningmate in the province’s gubernatorial race.
READ: Philantropist Pam Baricuatro to run as Cebu guv
He first ran in 2010 but lost to the late Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez. He ran again in 2013 but lost to former vice governor Agnes Magpale.
Vice Gubernatorial candidate
According to Soco, he volunteered to run alongside Garcia again after seeing reports that the governor did not have any runningmate.
“I felt that the governor needs a vice gubernatorial candidate which has supported her program all throughout,” Soco said.
“We have always started something which has been made unprecedented progress in the entire province of Cebu and I fully support the governor in her programs, advocacies and I felt that she needed a vice governor which has always been there,” he added.
Only two individuals are vying for the vice governor position. Aside from Soco, he other one is former Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Joselito Ruiz.
Incumbent Vice Gov. Hilario Davide III decided not to pursue his reelection for what would have been his third and last term, and filed his bid for Congressman for Cebu’s 2nd District.