Source: MindaNews
Top city councilor Ronnel Rivera last week Thursday filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) to formalize his bid to unseat Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio in next year’s local elections.
Rivera, a son of a tuna fishing tycoon, assembled both familiar and new faces in a full slate under the People’s Champ Movement, a local political party founded and headed by Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao.
Incumbent Vice Mayor Shirlyn Bañas likewise filed her COC and is seeking re-election as the running mate of Rivera.
Rivera ran as an independent in 2010 but still topped the race for city councilors after he was adopted by then mayoral candidates Nuñez, Loreto Acharon and Flor Congson.
He is the third son of Rodrigo Rivera Sr., whose family owns the biggest Gensan-based tuna fishing company, the Philbest cannery, and has tuna fishing and processing operations in Papua New Guinea. The Riveras also own dozens of other businesses including a chain of pawnshops and a thrift bank.
His elder brother Ryan ran but lost against Antonino-Custodio for the first congressional district of General Santos City-South Cotabato.
Antonino-Custodio is now the city mayor of General Santos and is widely believed to be seeking re-election. She and Manny Pacquiao also squared off for the congressional race in 2007. Pacquiao, then a newcomer in politics, lost to her.
Pacquiao is now fielding his brother Roel and supporting the candidacy of Rivera in what will shape as a proxy war between the eight-time world boxing champion and erstwhile political nemesis Antonino-Custodio.