UNITED FRONT. Vice Governor Agnes Magpale exchange pleasantries with Bogo City Mayor Celestino Martinez and Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III. after their meeting at White Gold House Restaurant (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Bogo City Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez, Liberal Party district chairman, is running for the 4th district congressional seat next year.
His son Carlo, a lawyer, will seek election for the first time to fill his father’s shoes as Bogo mayor.
The Martinez patriarch had served as congressman for three terms from 1987 to 1998 and is finishing his third and final term as Bogo mayor.
“I will not leave them behind,” referring to the rest of the district’s slate.
The Liberal Party (LP) in Cebu’s 4th district revealed its slate yesterday after a closed-door lunch meeting at the White Gold House Restaurant in Cebu City.
Martinez said he wants to make sure they sweep the polls.
LP y will field former PB Member Ribomapil Holganza Jr. of Bantayan and Medellin town councilman Horacio Franco III as district representatives in the provincial board.
The LP will field five incumbent mayors — San Remigio Mayor Mariano Martinez, Daanbantayan Mayor Augusto Corro, Sta. Fe Mayor Jose Esgana, Bantayan Mayor Ian Christopher Escario, and Tabuelan Mayor Rex Gerona.
Both Escario and Gerona will be adopted and endorsed by the LP for next year, whether or not they pledge allegiance to the party.
Newcomers to the mayoral race include Jay de la Fuente, Madridejos Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) president; former National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Commissioner
Carlo Martinez who is Junie’s son; and incumbent Tabogon Councilor Rodrigo Sinoy.
PB Member Joven Mondigo Jr., a former ally of the Garcia-led One Cebu Party, will vie for the mayoral post in Medellin under the LP next year.
Four incumbent councilors—Conrado Loon of San Remigio, Joan Pasasadaba of Sta. Fe, Tony Montemar of Bantayan, Raymond Olivar of Medellin and Eric Alivio of Tabogon—will run for vice mayor.
Madridejos Mayor Salvador de la Fuente, who is now on his last term, will give way to his son Jay and run for vice mayor.
Daanbantayan Vice Mayor Gilbert Arrabis will seek reelection next year.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, LP Cebu chairman, said candidates at the provincial level will file their certificates of candidacy on Oct. 15 at the the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu provincial office.