by Miriam G. Desacada
Isabel Leyte–Former 3rd district Leyte congressman Vicente “Ching” Veloso is now officially a voter of the 4th district of Leyte, which in turn makes him qualified to run for any elective post in the latter district of his choice.
This development came after the Comelec denied the opposition of an Isabel resident, and approved instead Ching’s application for transfer of his voter’s registration to Isabel, Leyte, an industrialized coastal town of the 4th district.
“Many thanks to the Comelec for approving my transfer of voter’s registration. This strengthens my preparations for my plans to run as congressman of the 4th district,” Ching shared to the media.
Ching’s meeting with the press came shortly after the Isabel’s Election Registration Board (ERB) of the Comelec issued it resolution on the opposition petition filed by a local resident against Ching’s move.
The oppositor, a certain Rhodora Basilio of Puting Bato is Isabel, on April 12 filed her opposition to Ching’s transfer as voter, insisting that he was not a resident of Isabel in the 4th district, but of Villaba town in the 3rd district.
Basilio argued that Ching has never been a resident of Barangay Mahayag of Isabel, which was Ching’s stated address of residence, and that the property he mentioned is not a habitable house but a commercial establishment that is even currently under construction.
Ching however debunked these claims, showing photos of the building, a portion of which is his present residence proven with photos of its being habitable, and that it is only the building’s ground floor being used for commercial activities and the second floor as his house.
Ching also presented his tax declaration document of the property, and showed that he owns also other properties in the town besides the contested one.
The ERB later conducted an ocular inspection of Ching’s building and verified the truthfulness of his contentions.
As a result, the Comelec’s ERB unanimously approved Ching’s application for transfer of voter’s registration from Villaba town to Isabel.
Ching declared later on: “Let’s move on,” with a determined voice that he would be running for the congressional seat of the 4th district against incumbent Rep. Richard Gomez.
Isabel town Mayor Edgar Cordeño, agreed with Ching that there’s no other reason for the filing of the opposition against Ching’s application. “Basilio might be used by someone who may be affected by the planned candidacy of Ching,” he said. “Why would Basilio makes an effort to oppose?” he conjectured.
On Ching being a resident of Isabel, Cordeño said Ching has been a resident in town “way back during the establishment of LIDE (Leyte Industrial Development Estate), a special industrial economic zone in Leyte, in 1979.”
He said “Ching was already staying as a resident of Isabel and, during his residency, he acquired several properties here.”
The mayor also bared that, in 1987, shortly after the people’s power revolution in Manila, Ching ran for congressman of the 4th district, with eight others, but was won by Carmelo Locsin.
That same year after his loss, Ching got a post in the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and decided to settle in his hometown of Villaba in the 3rd district, where he ran and won the congressional seat in the 2019 elections.
Ching is a scion of one of the oldest politicians in the 3rd district such as former senator Jose Maria Veloso, and former congressmen Eduardo K. Veloso and Alberto S. Veloso. His daughter Anna is now the incumbent representative of the district.
Cordeño said the opposition of Basilio is clearly an attempt to disturb Ching’s political plans. “Let them see the residence they questioned,” he said.
“Who do you see will be affected by the Ching candidacy? Isn’t it noticeable that even at this stage of voters’ registration, they seemed to be affected already,” the mayor added. —-Miriam G. Desacada