TACLOBAN CITY, (PNA) – A former actress and a former broadcaster, who are both current members of the city council, are vying for the mayoralty post in this city.
Councilors Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez and Neil Glova formalized on Friday their bid for mayoralty race on the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy (COC).
Running under the Nacionalista Party, Romualdez or known as “Kring Kring” in Philippine showbiz back in 1990s, is aiming to replace her husband, Alfred, whose family ruled the city for nearly two decades.
Alfred is a nephew of former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos.
Cheered by thousands of supporters wearing red and white shirts, the lady councilor arrived at the city election office around 3 p.m. to file her COC.
“We want to improve the economy because many people in Tacloban are still suffering from poverty,” said Romualdez, who will end her third term as city councilor next year.
She vowed to work on establishing the water system for permanent housing projects in the northern part of the city.
Glova showed up few minutes after Romualdez left the vicinity of the city’s astrodome. He was accompanied by family members and four incumbent councilors under his slate.
“This is the first time that a simple and poor man will attempt to reach to Kanhuraw Hill,” he said, referring to the location of the city hall.
The opposition councilor will run under the Nationalist People’s Coalition. The party had an alliance with local Liberal Party candidates.
Glova entered the local politics in 2010 as city councilor, ending his 20 years career as broadcaster of DYVL Aksyon Radyo.
He criticized the lady councilor for not being able to speak the local dialect and failure to understand the plight of the poor.
“I will exert every effort to solve the problem of urban poor in the city. I will send a message that is clear to every poor family,” Glova said.
Responding to criticisms, Romualdez said she had been a native in Tacloban since she got married to Alfred in 1996.
“I am a Filipino and I’ve been living here since 1998 when my husband became a congressman. I’m from here, I love this place and I love the people. I believe that there’s really that we can do for this place,”
Both candidates will woo the city’s more than 120,000 registered voters, who are still recovering from the impacts of super typhoon Yolanda that pummeled the city in 2013.
Glova has no running mate while Romualdez picked former city Councilor Jeric Granados as candidate for vice mayor. (PNA) RMA/SARWELL Q. MENIANO
