TACLOBAN CITY – Alleged drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa filed his Certificate of Candidacy for mayor of Albuera, Leyte on Tuesday, October 1.
ESPINOSA (left) shows his Certificate of Candidacy for mayor of Albuera, Leyte. (FB)
Then President Rodrigo Duterte linked Espinosa, who is running a local party, Bando Espinosa-Pundom Kauswagan (BE-PK), to the illegal drugs trade.
Kerwin’s father, former Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., was killed in 2016 at the Baybay City sub-provincial jail during the service of a search warrant by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Eastern Visayas.
He is in a three-cornered fight against incumbent Mayor Sixto dela Victoria and Leyte fourth district Board Member Vince Rama, the brother-in-law of Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez.
“There is a lot of negative comments when the news came out that we filed our COC together with the BE-PK but it's fine. Our actions and service should speak if given the chance to serve Albuerahanons,” Kerwin said in a statement.
Meanwhile, reelectionists Leyte fourth district Rep. Richard Gomez and his wife Mayor Gomez filed their COCs on Wednesday, October 3.
Rep. Gomez's opponent, former Leyte third district Rep. and Court of Appeals Justice Vicente “Ching” Veloso, is set to file his COC on Friday, October 4.
Veloso’s daughter Ana Victoria is the incumbent representative of the third district.
Rama, Hontiveros
CEBU CITY – Reelectionist Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama of Partido Barug filed his Certificate of Candidacy on Thursday, October 4.
Also filing his COC was his running mate, Cebu City Sangguniang Panglungsod Member Donaldo "Dondon" Hontiveros, a former professional basketball player.
They were accompanied by their supporters.
Rama is currently serving lengthy preventive suspension imposed by the Ombudsman.