TACLOBAN CITY – A close confidante of Mayor Alfred Romualdez has questioned the legitimacy of a vice mayoralty candidate’s use of the Romualdez surname, saying the candidate is not legally a member of the influential political clan.
Bernardita “Bering” Valenzuela, a project consultant to Mayor Romualdez, claimed in a recent media interview that the candidate’s grandfather adopted the Romualdez name only through late birth registration in 2001.
“According to my sources, his family originally hails from Julita and carried (a different surname). It was only in 2001 that his grandfather registered as a Romualdez,” Valenzuela said.
She further asserted that under Philippine law, the use of a father’s surname must be based on paternal acknowledgment or consent—something she claims did not occur in this case.
“In order to legally carry the surname of the man you claim as your father, there must be legal recognition or consent. That requirement, I believe, was not met in this case,” she explained.
Valenzuela’s remarks come amid growing political interest in the local elections, where a candidate using the Romualdez surname is vying for the vice mayoral seat.
The same position is being contested by Raymund Romualdez, son of the incumbent mayor and current president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC).
“I can emphatically say he is not a Romualdez,” Valenzuela said.
The statement adds tension to what is expected to be a closely watched electoral race in Tacloban City, where the Romualdez name carries significant political weight.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
