A son of former Bohol governor and Tagabilaran City mayor Rolando Butalid has announced his bid to run for a seat in the Provincial Board (PB) under the coalition of gubernatorial aspirant Second District Rep. Aris Aumentado.
Dominic Butalid, in an interview over station dyRD on Wednesday morning, confirmed that he was set to file his certificate of candidacy as the substitute of Leah Tirol-Magno who withdrew her candidacy to run as PB member in the first district on the same day.
Tirol-Magno is a member of the National People’s Coalition and was supposed to run under Aumentado’s group.
“Last Monday, hing confirm na ko ni Aris Aumentado ug Attorney Handel Lagunay na interesado ko as substitute for Leah Tirol Magno. We will file the necessary papers immediately…basin karon adlawa or ugma sa buntag,” Butalid said.
This will be Butalid’s first attempt to enter politics.
Butalid has been in corporate marketing for most of his career, holding posts with the Ayala Group and Jollibee Foods Corporation before returning to Bohol to take over as marketing director for Bohol Bee Farm.
He is also a member of the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s board of directors.
According to Butalid, he initially had no interest in politics despite being urged by his father to run for any elective post in government.
Butalid said the 2022 elections would be the right time to grant the request of his family’s patriarch who died in 2016 at the age of 85.
“Si Papa Rolly Butalid kanhi gobernador sa atong lalawigan ug mayor sa syudad giingnan ko sauna na ‘I hope mo silbi ka in whatever capacity as an elected official sa atong mahal na Bohol.’ That was 20 years ago, hantod sa namatay siya, wa ko katuman sa iyang gusto,” Butalid said.
“There comes a point in your life na hing mature ko, 60 na ko—with my age, experience and wisdom, I think it’s the right time, I think I have to fulfill that promise to my father and I have to fulfill a promise to myself na magpapili ko. This is the opportune time,” he added.
Butalid is also the brother of Tagbilaran City number one Councilor Tim Butalid.
For his part, Provincial Commission on Elections supervisor Elisio Labaria confirmed that Magno withdrew her candidacy.
Labaria said substitutions due to withdrawal are accepted until November 15, 2021.
The substituting candidate should be under the same political party as the person who will be replaced, he added. (R. Tutas)