TACLOBAN CITY: Mayor Alfred Romualdez, the President's first cousin, on Tuesday filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for a fresh term as the city's chief executive with the support of Vice Mayor Edwin Chua, who used to be his fierce critic. 'It was a long journey, and we will continue that journey. I am very thankful for the people who gave me the opportunity to serve. There are many things I want to do in Tacloban,' Romualdez told reporters. Accompanied by some members of the Chua clan, Romualdez filed his certificate of candidacy at the city election office here before noon. He is running under the Nacionalista Party. Chua said he just had heart bypass surgery and is not seeking reelection in next year's polls against the mayor's son, Raymund. In the 2022 elections, Raymund lost to Chua in the tight vice mayoralty race. In the 2025 elections, no one from the Chua clan ran for the top two elective posts in the city. 'We used to be friends, and we just had a little misunderstanding. Now, we're togeth er again,' the vice mayor said. Romualdez is the second candidate for city mayor as of Tuesday noon. The first to file was Renato Sipaco, a former village chief of the city's Anibong district. Tacloban, with a population of 251,881 as of 2020, is a first-class, highly urbanized city. It serves as the regional center of Eastern Visayas. The Romualdezes have been at the helm of the city government for over two decades. Alfred is the son of former Mayor Alfredo Romualdez, who governed the city from 1998 to 2007. Alfredo is the younger brother of former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, the mother of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Source: Philippines News Agency