- Barangay, SK candidates swarm Comelec to file COCs
Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) candidates crowded the Comelec offices in Magsaysay Park on the first day of the certificate of candidacy (CoC) filing on Monday, Aug. 28.
Among the candidates are incumbent punong barangays like Alimodin Usman of 23-C, Armando Abapo of Indangan, Edgar Ibuyan Sr. of 5-A, Marlon Campos of Bago Aplaya, January Duterte of Catalunan Grande, filed by First District Rep. Paolo Duterte.
and Talomo Proper barangay captain aspirant Lawyer Rene Alexis Villarente, among others, Jericho Emphasis of Barangay Ma-a for SK Chairperson, and Mary Clair Ibuyan Abayon of Barangay 5-A Bangkerohan for Barangay Kagawad.
Usman shared that despite the challenges of being a barangay leader in a Moro community and a drug hotspot, he vowed to continue the peace and order they enjoyed once he is voted for the next term.
“Nasayod man mo sauna kung unsa kalabad sa ulo, naa diha ang droga, di man nato maingon nga naugdaw na nato tanan, pero na-minimize nato, sa tabang sab sa Sta. Ana Police Station (You may have witnessed how much of a headache. While we haven’t eradicated illegal drugs, we minimized them with the help of Sta. Ana Police Station),” Usman said.
Duterte filed the COC on behalf of his wife January and mentioned plans to build a new Comelec building somewhere in the University of Philippines in Mindanao property to properly facilitate candidates and other officials in the third district.
“So far, okay man amoang pag-file, gamay ra gyud kaayo ang atoang building sa Comelec diri, kinahanglan nagyud og bag-o. Mao tung nagstorya mi sa usa ka taga-Comelec officer na pangitaan kini og pamaagi (So far, the filing went well but our Comelec building is too old and small, so we need to build a new one. That’s why I’ve talked to one of the Comelec officers, so that we could find ways for this),” Duterte said.
Mary Clair Ibuyan Abayon, a first-timer who runs for Barangay Kagawad in Bankerohan, said she decided to run to work closely with her father, Edgar Ibuyan Sr., to further implement programs and developments in their community.
“We plan to have inclusive programs not just for women but also for the youth that, the grassroots of Bankerohan, ang mga kabatan-onan, will have skills development and sports inclusion,” Abayon added.
The filing of the COCs for barangay and SK elections will run until Sept. 2.
