Ex-Capiz board member runs for Roxas City mayor

By Felipe V. Celino 

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — The two protagonists in the 2019 mayoralty race here will face off again in the May 9, 2022 elections.

Former Capiz first district provincial board member Roberto Rommel Lastimoso filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for mayor of Roxas City against re-electionist and Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Ronnie Dadivas.

Lastimoso was the standard bearer of PDP-Laban in Roxas City with former City Councilor Atty. Powell del Rosario as his running mate for vice mayor.

Lastimoso and del Rosario and their ten candidates for the Sanggunian Panlungsod (SP) filed their COCs Wednesday morning before the City Commission on Election (Comelec) at Robinsons Place-Roxas.

Lastimoso ran and lost to Dadivas by about 4,000 votes in the 2019 elections.

His candidates for the SP are incumbent City Councilors Midelo Ocampo and Moreng Gonzaga; former City Councilor Joe Agdalipe, Lin Lin Lim and Jennifer Anisco; Punong Barangays Antonio Besana of Bato and Alfredo ‘’Menong’’ Albaladejo of Tiza; Earl Sicad, and journalists Rico Infante and Rexam Laguda.

Also present during the filing of COCs was re-electionist Governor Esteban Evan Contreras II and former PNP Chief Roberto Lastimoso, father of the mayoral bet.

A press conference was held at the Governor’s residence in Brgy. Mongpong here shortly after the filing.

Lastimoso is the former Roxas City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) before he was appointed as provincial consultant on barangay affairs in Roxas City.