Talisay Vice-Mayoralty Bet Calls Debate Against Rivals

With only 11 days to go before the elections, Talisay City vice mayoralty candidate Aberdovey Belleza earlier today challenged his rivals to a public debate.

“Let’s have a public debate, so our people will know of our performances,” said Belleza, who is running independent. Belleza, a former vice mayor, is running against second-term Vice Mayor Alan Bucao of the administration and City Councilor Romeo Villarante of the opposition party.

Belleza said during his time as vice mayor the City Council was awarded as the most outstanding in the entire region, a recognition that has not yet been repeated since. Belleza, who ran for reelection in 2007 under the administration banner, was defeated by the opposition’s Lani Abarquez. In 2009 Abarquez resigned her post, and was succeeded by then first Councilor Bucao, who in the following year’s election ran for the vice mayoralty post against Belleza. Bucao defeated Belleza.

The former vice mayor’s challenge was accepted by Villarante. But Villarante, a practicing lawyer, believed Belleza only wanted to up his ratings by invoking publicity through his debate challenge.

“Bisan unsang orasa andam ta pero Aber (Belleza) is just seeking publicity para mosaka iyang rating,” Villarante said. Bucao, for his part, is also willing to take up on the challenge.

He said if Belleza claims he was performing better than any other vice mayors of Talisay,then he should answer in the debate why some of the city’s properties like the welding equipment, grinder, among others, which were in his care during his incumbency, were not surrendered to the City Hall.

For his part, Belleza said a clearance from the general services office is proof that he is already cleared from any of that allegations.

Meanwhile, there is still no date to the said debate, if ever it is going to happen.