Vows to fight hard
PALO, Leyte– Leyte 4th district Representative Richard Gomez has appealed to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to support his ongoing efforts to combat illegal drugs in his district.
Gomez made the appeal during an interview after his proclamation on Wednesday, May 14, following a hard-fought reelection campaign. He secured a second term after defeating former Court of Appeals justice Vicente Sofronio Veloso by more than 47,000 votes—garnering 177,483 votes to Veloso’s 130,415.
“I am asking President Marcos and the Philippine National Police to help strengthen our peace and order programs in the district and to continue our fight against illegal drugs, especially now,” Gomez said.
“That’s what I will ask of the President and the PNP. We cannot afford to be lenient; we cannot turn a blind eye. We will continue our campaign—we will strengthen it, and we will fight hard,” he added.
Gomez alleged that drug money had circulated in the district during the campaign in an attempt to unseat him.
The 4th district of Leyte comprises Ormoc City and six towns, including Albuera, which was previously considered the drug capital of Eastern Visayas.
Newly elected Albuera Mayor Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, who previously admitted involvement in illegal drugs, was once identified—along with his late father, Rolando Espinosa—as a drug lord during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Espinosa has since vowed to prioritize efforts to eliminate illegal drugs in his town.
However, Gomez appeared skeptical of the mayor’s claim.
“We’ve been here a long time—do you still believe statements like that? Let’s not be fooled by those who deceive us,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gomez thanked his constituents for reelecting him, saying he believes they were satisfied with his performance over the past three years.
“The people believe in the work we do and how we do it—they’ve seen it. When you’re in office, you have to make sure your work is done properly,” he said.
“Because come next elections, you’ll be asking for their votes again to return you to office.”
Aside from strengthening peace and order and addressing illegal drugs, Gomez said he also aims to attract more investors to the district to create more jobs and improve the local economy.
During the proclamation, held at the provincial hall in Palo, Gomez was joined by his wife, reelected Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres Gomez and their daughter Juliana, among others.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
