Taxi driver seeks City Council seat

CEBU, Philippines — A taxi driver who claims to be a former driver of acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia was the first to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Cebu City yesterday.

Abraham Alcontin Verdida, 57, a resident of Barangay Labangon, wants to represent the taxi drivers in the Cebu City Council as councilor.

Verdida, a taxi driver for six years, said among his advocacies is to offer a free taxi ride during his birthday. He also wants to raffle off three sacks of rice every year.

Asked why he seeks to be elected as city councilor when he could barely provide for his family, Verdida said: “Naa may ni hunghong nako’g suwayi ra’g dagan, di bitaw ka maunsa og di ko kadaog, so ako lang gisuwayan, basin diay.”

Verdida admitted he only earns a net income of P1,000 a day for driving 16 hours. As sole breadwinner in the family, Verdida said his daily income sustains everything his family needs, including food, utility bills, education for their four children, etc.

Verdida said he tried reaching out to acting Mayor Garcia to be included in the lineup of KUSUG but he allegedly did not get an answer. He also tried asking the endorsement of suspended Mayor Michael Rama but same thing happened prompting him to decide to run as an independent candidate.

“Kay pananglitan makadaog ko, naa koy ikahatag nga tulo ka sakong bugas, i-raffle nako, makakuha sila’g usa ka sako,” he told reporters at the Comelec office yesterday.

Verdida said he used to drive for the acting mayor when he was still a law student from 2006 to 2008. He also claimed to be a former driver of ex-mayor Alvin Garcia from 1999 to 2001. He tried running for barangay councilman in Labangon but did not make it.

Yesterday was the first day of filing of COC for those who wants to be elected in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections. As of 4:30 P.M. yesterday, there were no other COCs filed in the Comelec office in Cebu City making Verdida the lone filer of the day.

Lawyer Ambongan Aguilar, election officer for the Cebu City North District, said that they are only accepting COC for council seats for the North while the South District will be accepting the rest of the positions.

Security around the Comelec offices has been heightened since yesterday. Barricades were already installed and police visibility has been beefed up. Aguilar reiterated that supporters will not be allowed entry beyond the barricade. He emphasized that only three personnel will be allowed to escort the aspirants during the filing of COC.

Aguilar has advised all aspirants to file their COCs earlier so that necessary corrections, if there are any, will be attended to promptly. The filing of COC will end on October 8, 2024, at exactly 5 P.M. — (FREEMAN)