TACLOBAN CITY – With no known opponent, Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla and his running mate, Leonardo Javier, filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) on Monday to seek reelection.
Since the start of the COC filing last October 1, no other individual has formalized their participation in the race for the two highest positions in the province, based on records of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial office here.
Nobody has expressed intention to run for Leyte governor in 2025, even on social media platforms.
Petilla and Javier are both seeking a second term after winning in 2022. They are under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), which is part of a coalition supporting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
They were accompanied by candidates vying for provincial board seats in five legislative districts of the province. Several incumbent mayors were also present to show their support for the alliance.
“We do not know if I have an opponent until 5 p.m. of October 8. We were told by Comelec that based on their experience, many candidates will file at 4:30 p.m. on the last day,” Petilla told reporters.
Asked about his priorities in the next three years, Petilla said, he will “focus on promoting making agriculture more competitive. We must invest in technology to make agriculture products cheaper in our province.”
Petilla was the Leyte governor (2004-2012) before he was appointed as Energy Secretary during the Aquino administration. His brother, Leopoldo Dominico, was the provincial governor from 2013 to 2022.
Meanwhile, the Javier clan has been an ally of the Petillas in the past elections. After his term as mayor of Javier town, Leonardo ran as vice governor. His wife, Lolita Karen, is the current representative of Leyte’s second district and is also likely running unopposed next year.
Their sons are incumbent mayors of Javier and Jaro towns. Leonardo is the founder of Andok’s, a food chain known for “lechon manok” (roasted chicken).
The Petillas’ rise to power in Leyte started in the early 1990s when Leopoldo Petilla, Carlo Jericho’s father, became governor. Leopoldo’s wife, Remedios, replaced him in 1998 and ruled the province until 2004.
Remedios is the current mayor of Palo, a town next to Tacloban.
The Petilla clan is a sub-branch of one of the country’s oldest political dynasties. The first member of the clan was Jose Ma. Veloso, Remedios’ grandfather.
He became Leyte’s first district representative for three terms (1922-1925, 1935-1938, 1941-1946) and senator for two terms (1916-1919 and 1925-1935) during the Commonwealth period. (PNA)