Jalosjos’ sis, 3 others vying in special poll

DAPITAN CITY — A younger sister of former Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos and three other candidates are vying for the first district’s congressional seat which was vacated after the Supreme Court recently upheld Jalosjos’ rape conviction.

"My brother is glad that I’m running for the first district because his projects before can be given priority if I win. But really, it depends on the people to give me that mandate," said Cecilia Jalosjos Carreon, incumbent mayor of Piñan town.

The three other candidates in the Aug. 26 special election are lawyer Orlando Salatandre Jr., a former provincial board member and one of the counsels of detained cult leader Ruben Ecleo Jr.; Archie Adaza, son of former Rep. Artemio Adaza and who is running under Lakas-NUCD; and lawyer Elias Pamatong, legal counsel of jailed former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Nur Misuari.

The first congressional district has 114,000 registered voters in this city and seven municipalities, namely Rizal, Piñan, Polanco, Sergio Osmeña, Sibutad, Mutia and La Libertad.

Carreon, whose husband is this city’s incumbent mayor, is running under the banner of Reporma Party-Lapiang Malaya.

She said it was not her brother who convinced her to run but the mayors and barangay chairmen in the congressional district.

She campaigned for her brother in the 2001 congressional elections. Jalosjos won a third term despite his being incarcerated.

The House of Representatives recently struck Jalosjos off its roster of members after the Supreme Court finally upheld his conviction, and declared the first congressional district of Zamboanga del Norte "vacant."

The House move prompted the Commission on Elections to schedule the special poll on Aug. 26.

The Makati City Regional Trial Court had sentenced Jalosjos to double life terms for raping an 11-year-old girl.