Ex-senator's daughter endorses Sigue for Congress
BACOLOD CITY -- One of the two daughters of former assemblyman and senator Pedro Hernaez, Cecilia Hernaez-Magsaysay, has endorsed Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue for Congress in the May 2010 elections.
April 2009 when Sigue declared that she is already decided to run as representative of Bacolod Lone District this coming elections.
Hernaez-Magsaysay revealed that Batapa-Sigue reminds her of her father and public officials in the old days who were known for their honor, values, credibility and integrity in public service.
“In old days, or during the time of my father, public officials really have good values. This is important because with good values, public officials earn respect from their constituents,” she added.
Hernaez-Magsaysay described Sigue as like Bro. Eddie Villanueva, for her transparency in government dealings.
“When I first saw her, I can sense already that she is a good person. She exudes an aura of positive energy,” she said.
“Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue is a woman whose heart is in the right place. She is intelligent and is aware of the things around her. She knows how to reach out and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, especially for those who have less in life,” she added.
“Even before I met her, she was already known as a doer. She has performance to show. She is young but she can make things happen. She has the capability to reach out to others. These are essentially the traits of a good leader,” Hernaez-Magsaysay added.
She shared that she first met Batapa-Sigue on June 18 last year when the city government invited the Hernaez family to join them in celebrating the 70th Charter Anniversary of Bacolod.
Bacolod used to conveniently celebrate the Charter Day in October but last year the city government decided to be historically accurate and moved it in June.
Pedro Hernaez was assemblyman and representative of the Second District of Negros Occidental, which used to include Bacolod. He later became Senator of the Republic.
On June 18, 1938, the City of Bacolod was created by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 326 or the “Charter of the City of Bacolod” signed by President Manuel L. Quezon. The bill, which was approved by the First National Assembly of the Philippines, was principally authored by Hernaez.