Gubernatorial bet plans to withdraw candidacy

Jaime Almera

MALOLOS CITY—A Bulacan gubernatorial candidate announced on Saturday his plans to withdraw his candidacy within this week.

If it will push through, the gubernatorial race in the province will be a one-on-one battle between incumbent Governor Wilhelmino Alvarado and independent candidate Ernesto Balite.

Jaime Almera, another independent gubernatorial candidate announced his plans to withdraw from the race on Saturday.

He made the announcement on his Facebook account saying, “iwi-withdraw ko na yung aking COC filed for Governor of Bulacan this coming week.”

While he did not state his reasons for his withdrawal, Almera said that his decision is final and apologized to his friends and followers.

The plan to withdraw came a week after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Bulacan initiated an investigation on apparent nuisance candidates in the province.

Last October 20, Lawyer Elmo Duque, the provincial election supervisor of Bulacan has a one-on-one conference with six independent candidates who filed their Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for provincial elective posts.

The said independent candidates included Almera and Balite who are both filed their COC for governor.

If Almera’s plan to withdraw his candidacy, it will his second time in eight years to withdraw from the gubernatorial race.

In 2004, Almera filed his COC for governor but his father withdrew it with his consent.

On Saturday morning, Gov. Alvarado said in his weekly radio program that running virtually unopposed in the 2013 polls have its own benefits as far as governance is concerned.

He said that absence of strong contender will allow him to focus on local governance with political will, noting that it usually suffer during election.

This is due to political accommodation as politicians avoid voter’s disappointments by rejecting their requests.

“Pag halalan, puro suyuan iyan para hindi magtampo ang mga botante,” the governor said.