ORMOC CITY – Mayor Richard Gomez of his city has formally announced the plan of his wife, Leyte 4th district Rep. Lucy Marie Torres-Gomez to run for Ormoc Mayor next year after serving as a lawmaker for over a decade.
The actor turned mayor said he will attempt to swap post with his wife, now serving her third and last term in the House of Representatives.
Gomez announced their plan during the launch of the Ormoc City Covid-19 vaccination plan roll-out. The Torres-Gomez clan and its political allies dominate Leyte’s 4th District after their bets won over the Codilla political clan in the 2019 midterm polls, ending the latter’s decades-long rule.
After two failed attempts to win an elective post, Richard joined local politics in 2010 when he ran as Leyte 4th district representative. He was disqualified months before the elections, prompting Lucy to replace him.
Lucy was declared winner in 2010 and her substitution was considered by the Commission on Elections as “legal and valid.”
Less than two months before the 2013 elections, however, the Supreme Court ordered her to vacate the post due to questions on the eligibility of her substitution.
In 2013, Lucy ran anew for Congress and won while Richard lost his mayoralty bid. On account of her previous invalidated term, Lucy’s win in 2013 was considered her first term. They and toppled the Codillas in the 2016 elections.