53 aspirants for provincial, congressional posts in Antique

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique - The Commission on Elections' (Comelec) office in Antique received 53 certificates of candidacy (COCs) from aspirants eyeing various provincial and congressional posts for the 2025 midterm elections. Acting Assistant Regional Election Supervisor and concurrent Antique Provincial Election Supervisor IV Wil Arceño said the COCs, filed from Oct. 1 to 8, consisted of four aspirants for the lone district representative, seven for governor, three for vice governor, and 39 for provincial board members. 'So far, the COC filing was generally peaceful,' he said in an interview on Wednesday. The COCs for municipal posts were received by their respective local election officers. During the last day of the filing, an aspirant for municipal councilor in the municipality of Belison created a commotion after his COC was denied. 'The aspirant came after the deadline that the municipal election officer did not accept the COC,' Arceño said. He added that incumbent Vice Governor Edgar Deno sta, who originally filed his COC on Oct. 3, withdrew his COC on Oct. 8 and refiled for the same gubernatorial position on the same day after receiving his new certificate of nomination and acceptance. Denosta is running under the Nacionalista Party, which has allied with the National People's Coalition (NPC). Those who filed their COCs for representative are reelectionist Antonio Agapito Legarda of the NPC, incumbent Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao of the National Unity Party, Christopher Abiog of the Partido Para sa Demokratikong Reporma, and Remigio Petinglay as independent candidate. Eyeing the gubernatorial seat are Denosta and Paolo Everardo Javier of Aksyon Demokratiko on Oct. 4. Independent aspirants are Jonathan Tan and Rodelo Pidoy, Rudy Bantolo, Vicente Fedelicio, and Gaspar Gayona. Those who filed their COCs for vice governor are Mayella Mae Plameras-Ladislao under NPC, Genevive Lim-Reyes under the National Unity Party (NUP), and Edward James Dy Buco under the PDP Laban. Source: Philippines News Agency