ILIGAN City ― On the first day of filing Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 midterm elections, the Philippine National Police (PNP) deployed officers to secure the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Iligan City, according to Police Major Zandrex Panolong, the PNP spokesperson.
The first to file their COCs was the team led by incumbent Mayor Frederick Siao.
Dressed in blue shirts, Siao’s group, under the local political party ‘Asenso Iligan Party,’ headed to St. Michael Cathedral in Poblacion for a mass before proceeding to the Comelec office.
Supporters, also in blue, gathered at the ‘Mugna’ site in Barangay Tibanga, a popular venue for recent city events.
Siao, along with his running mate for vice mayor, Marianito Alemania, and several incumbents and new candidates, submitted their COCs.
Among those filing were Justice Oscar Badelles for representative of Iligan’s first district, city council candidates Bernard Pacana, Simplicio Larrazabal III, Michelle Sweet, Samuel Huertas, Providencio Abragan Jr., Marlene Young, Ramil Emborong, Betzy Zalsos, King Belmonte, Erwin Sumagang, and Melvin Anggot. The last three are newcomers, while the rest are incumbents.
The event was attended by prominent figures including former mayor Lawrence Cruz, ex-congressman Vicente Belmonte Jr., barangay officials, city department heads, and residents.
Verne Padilla, Mayor Siao’s chief of staff, explained that October 1 was chosen for its symbolic significance. The filing period runs from October 1 to 8, between 8 am and 5 pm each day.
