Pasay City’s political siblings, Mayor Antonino Calixto and Rep. Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, are seeking reelection in the May 9, 2016 polls.
The Calixtos filed their certificates of candidacy on Tuesday under the ruling Liberal Party.
Running for vice mayor under Calixto’s ticket is Noel del Rosario and for councilors are Antonia Cuneta, Alberto Alvina, Mark Calixto, Ricardo Santos, Margie Molina, Jerome Advincula, Arnel Regino Arceo, Donna Vendivel, Aileen Padua, Edith Manguerra, Reynaldo Padua and Joey Calixto Isidro.
Cuneta, Arceo and the Paduas are all incumbent councilors while Del Rosario is a former city Business Permit and License Office chief.
There were unconfirmed reports that “Megastar”and TV host Sharon Cuneta is going against Rubiano in the race for the lone congressional seat in Pasay City. Cuneta’s father, the late Pablo Cuneta, served Pasay as mayor for more than four decades, the longest-serving mayor.
Cuneta has a property situated along Libertad Street, a stone’s throw away from the city hall.
Mayor Calixto promised to continue the resettlement project for informal settlers in the city and improve public school facilities if reelected.
“The plan is to have 2,500 housing project for the homeless families here in Pasay. Before, we relocated 4,000 families to Trece Martires in Cavite right after the [2013] election,” he said.
Calixto is running against former Pasay City congressman Lito Roxas of United Nationalist Alliance and his former political adviser Jorge del Rosario of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan.
Del Rosario filed his COC last Monday. He ran for the same post in 2013 but lost to Calixto. Roxas is expected to file his COC Wednesday.
Calixto has been credited with changing the image of Pasay City from “Sin City” to “Travel City,” a program aimed to increase tourist arrivals and increase foreign and domestic investments.
Among the programs and projects initiated by Calixto are the Take Care I Care Green Card, the Malibay Community Center, Dental and Medical missions, free wheelchairs for senior citizens, Special Program for Employment of Students, Tulong Panghanap-buhay sa ating Disadvantage Workers, Livelihood for indigent residents, and free clean water for all barangays.