Bacolod mayoralty bet withdraws CoC

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  â€” Candidate Julius Sayson, who is challenging the mayoralty bid of incumbent Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, has withdrawn his certificate of candidacy (CoC).

City election officer Mavil Majarucon Sia said Monday that the Law Department of the Comelec in Manila has accepted the affidavit of withdrawal of Julius Sayson.

With Julius Sayson’s withdrawal, it will be a one-on-one battle for the mayoralty post between Vice Mayor Sayson and former Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella in the May 2013 election.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia, now on his third and last term, is running for congressman against incumbent Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez, former spokesperson of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Sia said the Comelec, in a letter dated Dec. 26, 2012, informed Julius Sayson that it has accepted his affidavit of withdrawal, filed by the latter in conformity with the poll body’s requirements for his name to be deleted and cancelled from the list of candidates.

Asked for his reaction, Vice Mayor Sayson said he was happy with the decision of the Comelec’s Law Department where he filed earlier a petition to declare Julius Sayson a nuisance candidate.

Meanwhile, Prospero Leonardia has filed his CoC for councilor of Bacolod last Monday, replacing his brother Andres, who died last Jan. 5. Both Prospero and Andres are brothers of Mayor Leonardia.

Sayson and the Leonardias are running under the Nationalist People’s Coalition-Grupo Progreso.  (FREEMAN)