By EDWIN IYO
Correspondent .
REP. Peter Unabia of Misamis Oriental’s 1st District changed his official address from Sugbongcogon town to Gingoog City, a move seen as a preparation for his bid to replace Mayor Marie Guingona in next year’s elections.
Unabia registered as a voter of Gingoog on Friday afternoon which he said would make him eligible to run for mayor of the province’s first component city.
The congressman owns a house and hardware in Barangay, San Luis in Gingoog.
But he said there was nothing certain yet, adding that he could either run for Gingoog mayor or for vice governor.
If Unabia runs for vice governor, he would likely be facing Vice Gov. Jose Mari Pelaez who may opt to seek reelection. But Pelaez, too, has the option of running for another position; he is serving second of the maximum three office terms allowed for local officials.
He told a gathering organized after he registered as a Gingoog voter: “Kung makita nato ang kaikag nga suporta sa katawhan ubos sa konsultasyon mag-decide ako magpapili pagka-mayor sa Gingoog.”
The congressman said he would soon do the rounds in Gingoog to consult people in the city’s 79 barangays.
He said dismissed talk about him supposedly planning to run for governor, calling it “hearsay.”
Unabia said he and Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano talked about his plan to either run for Gingoog mayor or vice governor.
He said Emano would likely seek a third and final term as governor of Misamis Oriental.
But he admitted that he was more inclined on running for Gingoog mayor but stressed out that no decision has been made yet.
Unabia is serving his third and last office term as a congressman; he is constitutionally barred from seeking reelection.
The Gingoog political gathering on Friday was attended by Unabia’s son Christian, Mayor Rey Buhisan of Magsaysay, provincial board member Virgilia Dumadag, former Gingoog vice mayor Erick Cañosa, and Gingoog councilors Roy Aniscal, Marlon Kho and Robert de Lara.
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