This question came to mind after out of nowhere, the name of businessman Angelo Balili popped up as joining the congressional fray in the third district. Sought to dispel any doubt that Balili’s entry will in any way spoil his congressional bid, Loboc Mayor Leon Calipusan, said there was no truth to speculation about the businessman’s political ambition against his own. They are good friends, he said. Mayor Calipusan said no way that he and Balili will collide in next’s year’s elections in the third district. From out of the blue, Balili suddenly became visible after a long hiatus since aborting a much-ballyhooed congressional plan in 2004. He took his oath as a Liberal party man during President P-Noy’s visit here Wednesday.

The buzz then was that P-noy would make the formal announcement of Balili’s official LP nomination in the third district. But the President was mum about Balili’s congressional fate resulting in some political watchers in the district that the businessman belongs asking “what went wrong”. With Balili’s congressional plans in limbo, Mayor Calipusan’s chances of a congressional slot in the LP remains alive. The fate of Dr. Elpedio Jala who was earlier touted to be in contention for the third district congressional derby was dashed with this report that he opted to run for board member under the banner of Gov. Edgar Chatto’s group. Claiming to be an original LP when the party in power was GMA’s Lakas, Dr. Jala’s name gained currency after he won hands down in the third district in the vice gubernatorial contest over party favorite Concepcion Lim and lawyer Tomas Abapo. He ran as a Liberal when one was not fashionable yet. Lim went on to win by a measly margin of more than 10,000. This developed over the week as new Liberal converts were outsmarting each other to secure the much coveted Certificate Of Nomination and Acceptance or CONA as passport to become the party’s official candidate without the benefit of traditional party convention to resolve concerns.

 In an interview with the Loboc mayor yesterday, he said he was hopeful as ever to get the third district CONA. Calipusan said he was assured by his backers at the LP top hierarchy in Manila that he remains in contention to get the official LP slot. There was no immediate word from the camp of incumbent Rep. Arthur Yap, who is now heading the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) Bohol neither the reported coalition of LP and NPC. If ever the coalition materializes, an LP source said, it’s still an uphill battle for Yap to invoke the “equity of the incumbent” principle or rule of the party when LP opposes.  In the second district, incumbent Mayor Roberto Cajes of Trinidad town who is gunning for his old Congress seat was said to have already pocketed the second district CONA of the LP. The incumbent Cong. Erico Aumentado lobbied for a coalition in the national level only to learn that his bitter rival jumped the gun on him in the scramble to get the CONA for the second district with the so-called equity of the incumbent reduced merely to a “toothless paper tiger”.  In the towns, for example like Jagna and Mabini towns, a similar scenario is unfolding. Here in these two towns, the incumbents Jagna’s Mayor Fortunato Abrenilla and Mabini’s Ester Fostanes Tabigue are facing their respective vice mayors as official LP bets. V-Mayor Eksam Llloren is seeking his old post as Jagna mayor while Tabigue will square off with V-Mayor Stephen Rances.

COC FILING

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections announced last week it will start accepting tomorrow (October 1, 2012) certificate of candidacy (COC) filed by would-be candidates at 8 AM to 5 PM. There will be no extension.  The filing of the COCs will run until October 5, 2012.  But it reminded candidates to file and submit their COCs with their respective Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) officially issued by their political parties they’re affiliated with. Those who failed or do not have CONAs are considered as independent candidates, it said.  The Comelec also advised parties concerned to be reminded of the deadline for substitution slated on December 21, 2012 and no more extension.