Payumo files COC for congressman, resigns as BCDA chair

BALANGA CITY, Bataan, Dec. 22 (PNA) — Speculations ended when chairman Felicito “Tong” Payumo of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) filed on Friday his certificate of candidacy (COC) for congressman of the province’s first district, automatically resigning from his prestigious position.

Payumo filed his COC at the Comelec provincial office here.

December 21 was the last day allowed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the substitution of candidates who filed their COCs from October 1 – 5 this year.

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino appointed Payumo as BCDA chairman late 2010 and many were surprised when he decided to leave the multi-million peso-funded government corporation.

“Nothing has changed. As what I’ve said earlier, I will run if things would not be fixed,” the former BCDA head said, referring to the failed unification/coalition where major candidates for governor, vice-governor and congressmen should have ran without opponents.

Payumo is chairman of the Liberal Party in Bataan.

He read his text message to Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and Budget Secretary Butch Abad about his decision and that of his nephew, Joel Payumo to run under the banner of the Nationalist People’s Party.

He substituted former provincial Board member Edwin Enrile, who filed his COC for congressman of the first district under NPC last October 5.

Payumo, former chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, will be opposing the last term bid of reelectionist Rep. Herminia Roman that he reportedly endorsed with the LP when they were still in good terms until the unification moves that Payumo helped initiate failed.

Filing the COC with Payumo was lawyer Jay Consunji for vice-governor who earlier made known his intention to run as congressman of the first district.

I think I would become more responsive to our provincemates if I would become a vice-governor because I saw many problems in the provincial rather than the national level, the top real estate lawyer of big corporations said.

Consunji replaced former provincial board member Jun Uy, who filed his COC last October 5 under the NPC. The lawyer is pitied against Efren Pascual Jr, reelectionist vice-governor under the LP.

Dinalupihan mayor Joel Payumo, also an official of the LP, filed last Thursday his COC for governor under the NPC, after businessman Pablo Roman, Jr. withdrew his candidacy Thursday that he filed last October 5.

The mayor, president of the League of Municipalities in Bataan and secretary-general of the LMP nationwide, has for his rival in the gubernatorial race Rep. Albert Garcia of the second district.

Gov. Enrique Garcia will run for the congressional post to be vacated by his son Albert.

Former Gov. Leonardo Roman, NPC chair in Bataan, will oppose the elder Garcia.

The Garcias are under the National Unification Party (NUP). (PNA)
CTB/ZST/EBE/PS

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Posted by Frederick Gella on December 23, 2012. Filed under Comelec Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry