BY MAE SINGUAY AND DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – A former councilor previously linked to illegal drugs filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for councilor for the May 2022 elections.
Ricardo “Cano” Tan failed to complete his first term as councilor. He took a leave of absence after he and his wife Anita were ambushed by armed men in December 2018. Fortunately, they survived.
In January 2019 during a private birthday party of an official of Vallacar Transit at a hotel in this city, President Rodrigo Duterte linked Tan to illegal drugs.
Tan disappeared from public view and only surfaced in May this year after his name was cleared by the Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6).
The PRO-6 issued on Aug. 6, 2020 a clearance and/or certification clearing Tan and his family from any links or participation to alleged illegal drugs trade activities.
Tan is running under Aksyon Demokratiko.
He has not joined any of the two major political groups here, Grupo Progreso of Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Asenso for better Bacolod of billionaire businessman Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
Meanwhile, businessman Daniel Alfonso Atayde filed his COC for congressman, challenging incumbent Cong. Greg Gasataya.
Also, former city administrator John Orola Jr., also a former congressman here, filed his COC at the Commission on Elections office-Negros Occidental.
Orola is running for governor against reelectionist Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Orala belongs to Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan./PN