Campaign Day 47: Countryside comes alive

The political scene in the countryside took the limelight Saturday, Campaign Day 47, or two days after the official campaign period for local candidates kicked off. In Negros Occidental, voters will face this problem when they write on the ballot for their mayoral pick in the May 14 polls: Three candidates, all carrying the surname Gatuslao, will face-off in the mayoral race in Himamaylan City. Sun Star Bacolod reported Saturday that re-electionist Mayor Carmenia “Menchit" Gatuslao-Bacon under the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino party, will race against her niece Alice “Lilit" Gatuslao and her nephew Allain “Len-Len" Gatuslao. Allain, who is running under the Lakas party, is the son of Antonio “Tony" Gatuslao who is the younger brother of Carmenia. Meanwhile, Alice, who is running as an independent, is the daughter of former Himamaylan mayor Hernan Gatuslao, who is Carmenia’s elder brother. Oscar Bascon, Carmenia’s husband, said “this was the handicraft" of his brother-in-law Tony who is known in the area as an ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Oscar said his wife Carmenia is the official candidate of the administration. 3-cornered fight in Zambo City The mayoral race in Zamboanga City will be a three-cornered fight after a woman educator decided to jump into the political fray for the second time. This developed after Carmelita Cajucom, Communications and Technologies (Comtech) Institute administrator, filed Thursday her certificate of candidacy for mayor. Cajucom, who first ran for mayor in the 2001 elections, is running as an independent candidate and she is counting on the support of various women's groups in Zamboanga City. Former priest Crisanto de la Cruz of Kabalikat ng Mamayang Pilipino (Kampi) also filed his candidacy for mayor Thursday. The report said incumbent Mayor Celso Lobregat and his party mates filed their candidacies as Lakas-Christian and Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) despite belonging to the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP). For the vice mayoralty race, it will be a five-cornered fight among Bar topnotcher Vic Solis, Kampi; Councilor Milabel Velasquez, Lakas-CMD; Councilor Jose Manuel Dalipe II, Nationalists People's Coalition (NPC); Tumaga barangay (village) chief Rodolfo Bayot, independent; and businessman Ismael Mustapha Jaalam, independent. The report said that it will be a one-on-one fight in Zamboanga City’s first congressional district between Western Mindanao State University president Eldigario Gonzales of Kampi and Vice Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco of Lakas-CMD. In the second district, a three-cornered fight loomed when former soldier Samuel Francisco Inesando filed his COC as independent candidate. Inesando will fight former vice mayor Susan Delos Reyes, Kampi, and incumbent Congressman Erico Basilio Fabian, Lakas-CMD. Politics lure 14 Negros Occidental mediamen At least 14 media practitioners based in Negros Occidental are running for public office in the May 14 elections,. The Sun-Star reported that the 14 include seven "active" media practitioners and seven "former" colleagues. Seeking the gubernatorial seat is broadcaster Luisito Tribaco of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), who will run against incumbent Governor Joseph Marañon, now seeking his third and last term. Tribaco, who hosts a local cable television show, offers a platform of poverty alleviation and making Negros Occidental a free trade zone to invite investors and solve the unemployment problem. In Bacolod City, lawyer and broadcaster Joel Dojillo is seeking the mayoralty seat against incumbent Evelio Leonardia, also a former media practitioner. Both served as president of the Negros Press Club in the past. The two will fight it out with former mayor Luzviminda Valdez and former local police chief Vicente Ponteras. Another broadcaster, Aquilino Ciocon of Radio-GMA (RGMA), is running for mayor in the town of Murcia against incumbent Sonny Coscolluela. RGMA "lost" three broadcasters to the May election after veteran broadcaster Edmund Aspero resigned to run as councilor of Bacolod City. Bryan Morden will run as councilor at Don Salvador Benedicto. Two other media practitioners who quit their jobs to run in May are Dolly Yasa of Panay News, who will run for councilor in Moises Padilla town; and Reynaldo Siason of Bombo Radyo, who will run for board member of the third district. Seeking another term as councilor of Bacolod City are Greg Gasataya and Homer Bais, both from Bombo Radyo before getting elected; and columnists Joselle Batapa-Sigue and Lyndon Cana. Cana is running for vice-mayor. Running for councilor of Bacolod is recently resigned Games and Amusement Board (GAB) commissioner Alex Paglomutan, who was also with Bombo Radyo. The last "practitioner" is Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, who was a former local TV personality. Puentevella is seeking his last term for the lone district of Bacolod against incumbent vice-mayor Renecito Novero. Aside from Dojillo and Leonardia, Puentevella, Yasa, Aspero and Saison are all past presidents of the Negros Press Club, one of the oldest media institutions in the country. 47 bets to slug it out in Pangasinan A total of 47 candidates filed their certificates of candidacy for various elective posts in Pangasinan, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Six candidates are running for governor. They are Jamie Eloise Agbayani, wife of Pangasinan Governor Victor Agbayani; Pangasinan Vice Governor Oscar Lambino; Representative Amado Espino Jr.; Bartolome Padilla of Rosales; Modesto Capulong of Mangaldan; and Reynaldo Sebastian of Asingan. In the vice-gubernatorial race, Comelec records showed Provincial Board Member Marlyn Agabas is running for the post under Espino, while another PB member, Dionisio Villar Jr., is Agbayani's running mate. For the congressional race, re-electionists representatives Mark Cojuangco and Conrado Estrella III of Pangasinan's fifth and sixth districts are running unopposed. Duterte face unknown bet In Davao, four “unknowns" will challenge the re-election bid Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte. Duterte, seeking for his last three-year term, is running along with his daughter and vice mayoral candidate Inday Sara. Four "unknowns" are: Justinian Joaquin, Teodoro Mantilla, Henry Satera and Rodrigo Sulamin -- all running as independent candidates. Sara’s rival in the vice-mayoral race is Jeff Ho, a medical practitioner. - GMANews.TV