Puerto Princesa (CNN Philippines) — Former Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn will take another crack at the city’s top post in the coming 2016 polls, again challenging incumbent Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron.
The team MESH (Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn) filed their Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) Monday morning (October 12) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in the city.
Hagedorn is running under the ruling Liberal Party.
This will be the second time Hagedorn and Bayron will run for mayor. Bayron, who is in his first term, was challenged by Hagedorn in a recall election in May of this year after more than 40,000 residents signed a petition for recall because of loss of trust and confidence.
Bayron won the election but the former mayor filed a protest for massive electoral irregularities and fraud. The protest is now in the Comelec First Division. Last week, 69 ballot boxes from contested precincts or 20 percent of the total 380 clustered precincts were shipped to the Comelec main office in Manila for verification and recount.
The recount is set to start this coming October 20 and is expected to culminate at the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Hagedorn’s lineup will compose of old-timers incumbent City Councilors Gregorio Q. Austria, who will be his running-mate; Rogelio M. Castro and Vicky T. De Guzman, a long-time LP stalwart in the city.
Completing the ten candidates for city councilor candidates are former Councilor Gerardo Abordo, Fortunato “Bobot” Almasco, former Palawan Electric Cooperative Board Chairman Edgardo Antonio, youth leader Earl Veronne Dela Cruz, former Palawan State University Vice-President Erlinda Ganapin, Bruce Gilbert Matilano, Atty. Joseph Pardian and Bgy. Maligaya Kagawad Alfredo Pe.
Meanwhile, incumbent Palawan Gov. Jose Alvarez, a business tycoon, also filed his candidacy for his second term in gubernatorial position at the Provincial Comelec Office on Monday morning.
Alvarez was joined by his running mate, incumbent Vice Governor Dennis Socrates, along with 10 board members who are mostly incumbents and his team mate way back in May 2013 elections.
His lineup is also running under the LP.
