NEWS
Simando bares slate

Edmundo Simando, Jr.

GARCHITORENA, CSUR-Youthful mayoralty aspirant Edmundo Simando, Jr. of this municipality this week announced that he has completed his municipal slate under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) which he predicted to win in the coming May 14, 2007 elections.

The 31-year old NPC bet is the eldest son of incumbent Mayor Edmundo L. Simando who is completing his third successive term and who plans to continue his law practive after the end of his term in June. Running as vice mayor with Simando is Dr. Levi Aguilar who has lived in this town for nearly two decades as physician in the Garchitorena Medicare Hospital.

Kgd. Loreto Arcega was first groomed to run as vice mayor having emerged topnotcher in the 2004 elections but he has begged off because of health reasons.

Candidates for municipal councilors include incumbent ABC president Antonio Rezare, incumbent councilors Justiniano Berunio and Antonio Alde, Obed Margarata, Roni Ruelo, Corazon Valencia, Danilo Alarte and Angie Belmonte.

Mayor Simando, the father, who first won as mayor in 1998 after losing in his first attempt in the previous election had won by wide margins in the 2001 and 2004 elections and his popularity is considered a tremendous factor that could propel his son to victory.

Pitted against the younger Simando are incumbent Vice Mayor Solon Demetriou, the administration candidate, and Nonito Borromeo, a Balikbayan who is running either as an independent or under the Liberal Party.

As a holder of a dual citizenship, Borromeo will have to give up his American citizenship to be eligible to run, the Comelec was quoted as saying.