Tacloban: Former Court of Appeals Associate Justice Vicente Veloso III has filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) to run as representative of the Leyte 4th congressional district against actor-turned-politician Richard Gomez. Accompanied by his family and candidates in the 4th district, Veloso, 79, formalized his bid as congressional aspirant after months of social media posts, meetings with local politicians, and public appearances. He filed his COC before Friday noon at the Commission on Elections Leyte provincial office in this city. Veloso, a representative of Leyte 3rd District from 2016 to 2022 who moved his residence last year to the 4th legislative district, said he is running to fight for the welfare of the poor and the oppressed. The Comelec in Isabel, Leyte, has approved the transfer of his voter's registration to the fourth district of Leyte in April this year. 'It's not even a case of challenge since this is not sport; it is service. If we want to represent the people, you must work. We wi ll build more hospitals and schools,' he told reporters. Veloso's daughter, Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon, has been the representative of Leyte's 3rd district since 2022. She also filed his COC for another term on Friday. Gomez, who filed his COC on Oct. 2, said the 2025 election is challenging, but he is hoping it will be peaceful. Gomez served as mayor of Ormoc for six years, swapping posts with his wife, Lucy Torres-Gomez, in 2022. Source: Philippines News Agency