DILG chief kicks off Senatorial bid

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Monday has formalized his intention to clinch a Senate seat as he filed his Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) satellite venue at the Manila Hotel.

In his statement, the DILG chief stressed that he is centering his platforms on solving problems in power supply, value-added tax on the grids and pushing agricultural reforms.

“We will tackle a lot. First is electricity, we will look at the problem, also the checking the VAT and the grids. Second is the agriculture, we will look into our farmers,” Abalos said.

In filing his certificate of candidacy for the 2025 midterm election, Abalos is deemed resigned as secretary of the DILG.

Previously, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. disclosed that he has already found a replacement for Abalos at the DILG but he has yet to announce the identity of the official.

Abalos will run under the administration’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate.

In 2022, Marcos appointed Abalos as the DILG secretary. He was also the chief of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in 2021 under former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Abalos also served as mayor of Mandaluyong City from 1998 to 2004 and then was elected as Mandaluyong representative from 2004 to 2007.

In other developments, Pasay City Mayor Imelda “Emi” Calixto-Rubiano has also filed her CoC as she seeks a third and final term in the upcoming 2025 midterm polls.

She was joined by her brother, Antonino “Tony” Calixto who also filed his candidacy as the city’s lone representative, and her nephew, District 1 Councilor Mark Anthony Calixto, who is now eyeing the vice mayor seat under the ticket of “Team Calixto.”

The party includes both reelectionists and new faces running for city councilors.

Leading the first district councilors is Ding Boyet del Rosario, the current vice mayor of the city, while the other candidates for the first district councilors are Amber Alvina, Tonyo Cuneta, Marlon Pesebre, Ding-Puchet Santos and Grace Santos.

Political neophyte Luigi Calixto Rubiano will head the second district councilors. Alongside him are Allo Moti Arceo, Allan Panaligan, Baby So, Khen Magat and Ian Vendivel.

Calixto-Rubiano, the city’s first female mayor, vows to improve the healthcare programs in her city, adding that local health centers would offer expanded services to alleviate overcrowded hospitals by providing birthing centers, x-rays, and laboratory tests.

When asked about the President’s order to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the mayor said that they are coordinating with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Business Permits and Licensing Office in checking whether they have licenses to operate in the city.

Over at Malabon City, Malabon Representative Jaye Lacson-Noel has filed her CoC for mayor. She was accompanied by her husband, Representative Florencio “Bem” Noel, who filed his CoC as the city representative last Saturday.

The filing of the Noels sets up a showdown for the mayoral and representative positions of the city, as the lawmaker will go up against the incumbent Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, while Bem Noel will attempt to secure the Congress against Jeannie’s husband, former representative Federico “Ricky” Sandoval II.

Former city mayor Antolin “Lenlen” Oreta III, who filed her CoC earlier, will also join the battle as the representative of Malabon City.

During the 2022 polls, Mayor Jeannie ran under the Nacionalista Party while Congw. Jaye ran under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

In an interview after her filing, Lacson-Noel said that if she gets elected as a mayor, she will prioritize the garbage and flooding issues of the city.

“The trash problem is a big issue, it is evident in social media. Additionally, the city of Malabon was not flooded before, but now it gets easily flooded and these two are connected,” Lacson-Noel said.

In Marikina City, First District Representative Marjorie Ann “Maan” Teodoro has kicked off her candidacy as city mayor. Teodoro hopes to succeed her husband, incumbent Marikina City Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro, who is now on his third and final term as city mayor.

The incumbent Marikina mayor, on the other hand, is seeking a potential comeback as a congressman of the city’s first district. Before he was elected mayor for three consecutive terms, Teodoro served at the congressional district from 2007 to 2016.