A farmer filed his certificate of candidacy for governor of Negros Occidental before the Commission on Elections at the Social Hall of the Capitol in Bacolod City on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 2.
Ferdenand Etabag Diego, 50, of Candoni, Negros Occidental, who said he is also a former policeman is running as an independent bet.
Diego, who goes by the nickname Bongbong Gorilla, was the first to file a COC for governor of Negros Occidental.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is filing his COC for reelection on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Diego said he is running for governor to call the attention of government to the plight of the farmers in his area.
The land they had been occupying for a long time was awarded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to the rich, he said.
Diego said if he wins he wants the NIR renamed to Philippine National Central Region, and to see to the construction of an international port for Negros Occidental.
They are not expecting Diego to win but they want to bring government’s attention to the plight of the people whose land was taken away from them, his colleague Alicia Cusay Baviera said.*