3 eyeing QC’s top post

More than three former and incumbent officials of Quezon City, led by Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista, are eyeing the post that will be vacated by Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., who is on his third and last term.

Belmonte, the lone guest of the weekly Newsmakers Forum yesterday, said Bautista appears to be the frontliner among the mayoralty hopefuls.

Aside from Bautista, Belmonte said Rep. Annie Susano and Michael Defensor, President Arroyo’s former chief of staff, also intend to join the Quezon City mayoralty race in 2010.

“There are some councilors who are campaigning citywide or introducing themselves citywide. So they also have ambition. I don’t know what position, maybe mayor or vice mayor. (Rep.) Nanette Daza has been going around the city. Majority floor leader Ariel Inton is going around the city,” Belmonte said.

He added that as of the moment, no member of his family is running for an elective position in the city.

Belmonte also expressed confidence that he will leave more than P3 billion in Quezon City’s coffers once his term ends in 2010.

He said P3 billion could be the highest ever amount of money left by a mayor in the country. He said that when he assumed office in 2001, “the city government had no money,” but this problem was corrected by 2002.