By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Fifteen candidates filed their Certificates of Candidacy (COC) for different elective posts in Negros Occidental on the first day of filing Friday.
The filers include one for governor, one for vice governor, four for congressional representatives and nine for board member in the different districts of the province.
Provincial Commission on Elections (Comelec) supervisor Atty. Ian Lee Ananoria said a candidate who filed for vice governor was not included because his documents are incomplete.
Those who filed included Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer who are both seeking reelection.
Ferrer was accompanied by his wife 4th district Rep. Juliet Ferrer who also filed her COC for re-election.
The Ferrer couple was the last to file their COCs 30 minutes before the Comelec closed for the day.
Earlier, 5th district Rep. Marilou Arroyo-Lesaca filed her COC for re-election, followed by former 6th district congresswoman Mercedes Alvarez-Lansang who filed her candidacy for the 6th district, a post she held for three terms before she was succeeded by her father, Rep. Genaro Alvarez.
Lansang was accompanied by her husband, Army Major Dranreb Lansang and her father.
Incumbent 1st district Rep. Gerardo Vallmayor also filed for re-election.
