Fariñas planned to retire but still filed candidacy in reaction to Marcoses
MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte) has long decided to retire but still filed a certificate of candidacy for governor in his home province due to the Marcoses.
Last week, Fariñas withdrew his candidacy for Ilocos Norte governor, leaving Board Member Matthew Marcos the lone candidate for the position.
In an interview with ANC's "Headstart" Monday morning, Fariñas said filing a candidacy for governor was a "knee-jerk reaction" as he was "pissed off."
"It was a knee-jerk reaction because previous to that nang-aasar lang ako dahil on November 2018 Bongbong (Marcos) texted me... and we met and he said, 'Pwede ba si Mommy (Imelda Marcos) wala na lang kalaban?" Fariñas said in the television interview.
Fariñas said he agreed with Bongbong Marcos as long as his daughter Ria, who is running for Ilocos Norte first district representative, will also run unopposed.
The Ilocos Norte lawmaker said it was the Marcos camp who first filed a "surrogate candidate" against his daughter Ria for his current position. Marcos ally Ryan Remigio of the Nacionalista Party is running against Ria Fariñas for the House seat.
What pushed Fariñas to run for governor was when former Ilocos Norte Gov. Michael Marcos Keon decided to run against re-electionist Laoag Mayor Chevylle Fariñas.
The Marcoses, however, claimed that they had no idea that Keon, who is a cousin of Bongbong, would go against Fariñas' niece for the Laoag City mayoral race.
"Biglang nag-file si Keon so knee-jerk reaction I went to Comelec... when I got there Matthew (Manotoc) talked to me, the candidate then for vice governor. He said 'Tito, we don't know about the filing of Keon,'" Fariñas said.
Fariñas assured the Marcoses that there was no problem and that he could withdraw his candidacy any time. He added that he gave Bongbong Marcos the benefit of the doubt.
"I texted him 'Pare, how could you not have known and kanyang (certificate of candidacy) and (certificate of nomination and acceptance) is (Nacionalista Party)," Fariñas said.
Bongbong Marcos, however, told Fariñas that the certificates came from their party but Keon was not cleared to file for candidacy.
Fariñas pointed out that when the campaign season started, he has been going around his home province and telling the people not to vote for him.
"I have been bidding them goodbye," Fariñas said. He withdrew his candidacy less than two weeks before the May 13 elections. — Patricia Lourdes Viray
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