TANGALAN, Aklan—Former Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores is competing for a congressional seat to represent the province’s second district in the 2025 local elections against his childhood friend and cousin, incumbent Rep. Teodorico Haresco, Jr.
Miraflores filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for membership in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 8, the last day of the registration period for aspiring politicians. Haresco submitted his COC on October 7 to formalize his re-election bid.
The former governor announced his retirement from politics in 2022. Miraflores, however, told reporters in Aklan that he decided to return to public service because he received complaints against Haresco.
Local party Tibyog Akean criticized Haresco for reportedly giving assistance to members of the political opposition in Aklan.
Haresco for his part said that, in reality, only three of the nine towns in the western district have their respective opponents in the second district. He is running for his last term of office.
“Whenever somebody comes into my office, I do not ask them whether they are under Tibyog party or not. It is my primary duty to help everyone in the second district. I am not even part of the Tibyog party although I have been helping them ever since,” the lawmaker said.
Aside from Miraflores and Haresco, other contenders in the congressional race in the second district were retired army lieutenant Matt Wacan and businessman Leo Niel Tirol.
