By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Laoag City—Incumbent Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) on October 11, 2018 for her third and final term.
Her running mate is her son, current Laoag City government administrator John Michael V. Fariñas.Prior to her official filing, they had a mass at the Laoag City Basketball Court, which non-government organizations, barangay officials and the public attended.
In her speech after the mass, Mrs. Fariñas thanked incumbent Laoag councilors Roger John Farinas and Shirley O. Sin; former Laoag councilors Sonia B. Siazon, Joseph Tamayo, Yvonne Ranada, Derick Lao, and new face Jardin O. Sin, son Mrs. Sin.
She also stressed that they will not resort to substitution as far as her own family is concerned.
Mr. Fariñas, in his speech, recalled the past elections in which the mayor and the late Laoag Vice Mayor Michael V. Farinas strongly supported the group even though they ran unopposed.
He said that even though his father has already gone, he is here to continue into his footsteps, especially on what his father dreamed for Laoag City and the people of Laoag.
“Ita ngarud, dumawatak iti suporta, ayat ken talek yo. Believe me when I tell you, sisasagana ak a tumulong ken denggen amin a problema iti Laoag City,” the younger Fariñas said.
“No siasinno man wennu adda man makalaban ko appo, I challenge him a rugyanan na met iti tumulong uray awan pay iti posisyon na,” he added.
After the mass, Mrs. Farinas led her group and proceeded immediately to the city elections office for the COC filing.
Also filing their COCs with Mrs. Fariñas and her son are re-electionist councilor Roger John Farinas, Jardin O. Sin, Evangeline Lao, wife of Derick Lao, and former councilor Sonia Siazon, all running for council seats under the PDP-Laban party.
In a press interview later, Mrs. Fariñas expressed her dismay with some of the incumbent Laoag councilors who made their earlier promises and assurances that they will join her political group. She however did not name those councilors.
The Ilocos Times learned that incumbent city councilors who were not around during the mass and filing were Laoag councilors Handy Lao, Roque Benjamin Ablan, Portia Pamela Salenda, Edison Bonoan, and Ferdinand Domingo.
“There’s nothing worse than a person who cannot stand by his/her word. Uray ngata kasanut kinabaknang mo ken kinalaing mo no awan prinsipyom wennu awan pagtaktakderam ket para kaniyak a nanumo I give so much importance diay sarita nga inibbatak,” she said.
“The only way nga ibatik iti maysa a kadwa ket no sika ti umuna a mangaramid kaniyak iti madi. Naundurak met a tao e. Kaya ka met a pakawanen ken pagtiyagaan but you have to admit nga adda met kamalim,” she added.
She disclosed that she waited for them up to the last minute because she took their words “We are for you” seriously, but they did not show up.
“Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing,” the mayor ended as she described those who allegedly broke their promises.