A day before the deadline for the filing of the certificate of candidacy (CoC), incumbent Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian appeared to be secure in his post since no major political figure had yet filed his CoC to contest his post. The local Comelec office said based on their records, only Pablo Hernandez filed his mayoralty CoC over the weekend as an independent.

Hernandez, a tabloid columnist, said he filed his CoC to provide an alternative to the ruling political group in the city.

Gatchalian, a stalwart of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), has already filed his CoC together with his running mate, incumbent Vice Mayor Eric Martinez of the Liberal Party (LP).

Gatchalian earlier formed a coalition of local parties in the city which includes the NPC, LP and the Nacionalista Party (NP) to support him.

Elected in 2004 as city mayor after serving as congressman for two terms, he was credited for forming a formidable political coalition which includes almost all major political figures in the city.

Included in his group are Councilor Shalani "Lani" Soledad, girlfriend of LP presidential bet Sen. Noynoy Aquino, and Vice Mayor Eric Martinez.

Gatchalian said although he is a known supporter of Sen. Manny Villar, members of the coalition will have a free hand in choosing whom to support at the national level.

"Our coalition is only at the local level because we are all guided by our desire to make the city progressive economically," Martinez, also a staunch supporter of Aquino, said.