Fariñas withdraws Ilocos Norte gubernatorial bid for ‘freedom’
Credit to Author: GLEE JALEA| Date: Thu, 02 May 2019 05:17:04 +0000
FORMER Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Rodolfo “Rudy” Fariñas officially withdrew his candidacy for governor of the province, leaving a grandson of former first lady Imelda R. Marcos unopposed.
In a message to reporters on Friday, Fariñas said he was set to retire as a lawmaker on June 30 after almost 40 years in public service.
Fariñas filed his withdrawal of bid at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Laoag office on Thursday.
“I did not really want to run for any office as I want to retire on June 30 –after 39 years since I started as Laoag City Mayor on March 3, 1980, at the age of 27,” Fariñas said.
“From Day 1 of the campaign until today, having covered 272 of my district’s 285 [villages], I’ve been announcing in my speeches that I was not running for Governor. In fact, I do not have a single campaign poster, nor my name is in our sample ballot,” he said.
Fariñas also expressed hope that his opponent, Matthew Marcos Manotoc, would be effective in public service, given his “youth and vigor.”
“I hope that given his youth and vigor, and that he has barely served the public in 3 years, he will serve the province excellently like I did,” he said.
In November 2018, Manotoc filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) at the last minute shortly after Ilocos Norte 2nd District Rep. Marcos withdrew her bid over her graft conviction.
On November 9, Marcos was found guilty in seven out of 10 counts of graft for using her Cabinet position to manage several Swiss foundations. Her conviction included perpetual disqualification from public office.
Manotoc, incumbent Ilocos Norte 2nd District Senior Provincial Board member, initially filed his CoC for vice governor of the province while Fariñas substituted Jesus Arimboyutan.
Fariñas also expressed delight after finally gaining “freedom” from politics.
“With only 58 days [until my retirement], Freedom. [I am] free to be doing nothing, and absolute quality time for my eight kids and eight grandkids! And, myself, of course.” he said.
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