EARLY BIRD. Antique Rep. Antonio Agapito Legarda shows his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) as he bids for his second term representing the province of Antique on Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2024). Acting Assistant Regional Election Director and concurrent Antique Provincial Election Supervisor IV Wil Arceño said in an interview that the first day of the COC filing in the province is generally peaceful. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Antique Rep. Antonio Agapito Legarda is the first candidate to file his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) as he bids for his second term representing the lone district of Antique on Tuesday.
Legarda, accompanied by his sister, Senator Loren Legarda, attended the early morning mass at the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral in San Jose de Buenavista, invoking God’s guidance before the filing.
“I am running for reelection because I want to continue what I have started in my first term as your congressman,” Legarda said in a press conference.
Legarda, bearing a campaign slogan “Serbisyo Diretso sa Tawo,” vows to implement more projects, programs, and activities to directly benefit and uplift the lives of the people in the province, such as the provision of scholarships for indigent students and job generation.
“In fact, there is now a big call center that has come to Antique and will have exponential job generation,” he said.
He was joined by six party mates at the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), who also filed their respective COCs, including Mayella Mae Plameras-Ladislao who will run for vice governor, reelectionist board members Egidio Elio and Alfie Jay Niquia, and new board member candidates Lawyer Hector Franque and Sibalom Municipal Councilor Donna Chris Yan.
They also signed the Commission on Elections covenant for a clean, honest, and fair 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).
Meanwhile, Acting Assistant Regional Election Director and concurrent Antique Provincial Election Supervisor IV Wil Arceño said the first day of the COC filing in the province was generally peaceful.
“So far, we have learned that the incumbent Belison town mayor Christopher Piccio has also filed his COC for reelection,” Arceño said.
He added that they continue to monitor the COC filing in the province of Antique that will run from Oct. 1-8. (PNA)
