FORMER Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief Benjamin Abalos Sr. filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) today to formally seek the mayoralty post of Mandaluyong City.
He will run as city mayor with his daughter-in-law, incumbent Mayor Carmelita “Menchie” Abalos, as his running mate. Their bid was formalized after filing their COCs today at the local Comelec office in the city.
They said that Abalos Sr. running as city mayor after a 14-year political hiatus, and the decision of Mayor Menchie to run as the family patriarch’s running mate, is to fulfill the promise they made to Corazon Abalos, Abalos Sr.’s wife, who died last January after contracting COVID-19.
“I am returning to politics to fulfill my last promise to my late wife Cora,” said Abalos Sr.
Corazon, the family matriarch, died of severe sepsis secondary to pneumonia due to COVID-19 on January 26.
“I have made the last promise to my wife to spend the remaining years of my life to serve the Mandaleños once again, in honor of her. With all the experiences I had when I was a mayor and a member of the Cabinet and my personal experience during this pandemic, I know that I can usher the city to its healing, recovery, and the shift towards the new normal – creating the perfect balance to protect the public health and revive the economy,” Abalos Sr. said.
For her part, Mayor “Menchie” Abalos said she chose to take a back seat in managing the city and will just “assist my father-in-law in handling the affairs of the city to fulfill his promise to Mommy Cora,” said the lady mayor.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Mandaluyong City PIO Facebook page)