Palayan exec denies pa’s mayoral bid

PALAYAN CITY, Philippines - – Vice Mayor Florante Mercado has denied reports that his father, former Makati City vice mayor Nestor Mercado, is gunning for city mayor to challenge the re-election bid of Mayor Adrianne Mae Cuevas.

Mercado also reaffirmed his and the Sangguniang Panglungsod’s support to the executive agenda and programs of Cuevas.

Speaking during an out-of-town meeting with Cuevas, city councilors and barangay chairmen in Baler, Aurora, Mercado dismissed as mere speculations reports that his father would make a political comeback by seeking the mayorship of this provincial capital.

“This issue of my father running for mayor of Palayan is farthest from the truth. He no longer wants to re-enter politics,” he said.

The younger Mercado issued the statement after word spread that his father is planning to make a comeback after his aborted mayoral run in Makati City against Junjun Binay.

Cuevas and the younger Mercado belong to rival political parties. Cuevas is a partymate of Gov. Aurelio Umali in the Liberal Party and its local party, Unang Sigaw Partido ng Pagbabago, while Mercado ran for vice mayor under the Nationalist People’s Coalition and the local party Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija of the Josons.