BALANGA CITY – The first day of the filing of Certificates of Candidacy on Monday seemed not to be the priority of most local, provincial and congressional hopefuls in Bataan.
No one eyeing the congressional post in the first and second districts of the province filed. And so with candidates for governor, vice-governor and 12 provincial board members in two districts. They are supposed to file their COC with the Provincial Election Supervisor’s Office in Balanga City.
Unconfirmed but reliable reports showed that most of the major candidates were having last ditch efforts this Monday to forge unification.
“No one has filed yet but we are expecting the bulk of candidates to come on Wednesday to Friday,” said lawyer Emmanuel Ignacio, Director III of the Commission on Elections in Bataan.
He said they are ready and he has conferred with 12 election registrars of the province last Wednesday on the adoption of new forms and submission of reports.
In Pilar town, the small Comelec office was empty. “Reding-redi na kami sa Pilar na tumanggap ng mga kandidato pero sa ngayon wala pang dumarating,” said municipal election registrar Edna Orejola.
A check on the rest of the 11 towns and one city showed there were no candidates yet, except in Samal town.
Maribeth Salvador, Samal municipal election registrar, said re-electionist Samal Mayor Gene dela Fuente, her vice-mayoral bet councilor Aida Macalinao and eight candidates for town councilor or sangguniang bayan, all under the Liberal Party, were the only early birds in the town.
Police reported that the first day in the filing of COC was generally peaceful and orderly.
