Loren Legarda faces longtime Antique gov in race for House seat

Exequiel Javier and Loren Legarda

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — It’s a five-cornered fight for the post of representative of Antique’s lone congressional district, but it is largely seen as a duel between former Gov. Exequiel Javier and Sen. Loren Legarda.

The entry of Legarda — a TV newscaster before she won and held a Senate seat for three terms — into local elections has enlivened the political landscape in the province long dominated until recently by the Javiers and their allies.

The others seeking to represent Antique in the House are Rodelo Pidoy, Robin Rubinos and Antero Florante Villaflor Jr., all independent candidates.

Legarda was born in Malabon City and has never held a public post in Antique. She established residency at Barangay Mag-aba in Pandan town only on Jan. 1, 2018, citing family roots in filing her candidacy for representative of Antique under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Her maternal grandmother, Carmen Gella-Bautista, is from Pandan, and her great granduncle, Vicente Gella, served as governor of Antique in 1919-1922.

‘Vulnerable and poor’

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed three petitions opposing Legarda’s transfer of voter registration from Malabon to Pandan.

Antique had 322,861 registered voters in the 2016 presidential election.

In a statement she issued when she filed her certificate of candidacy last year, Legarda said: “I have served our country well for the past 20 years and as I end my third term in the Senate, I wish to continue serving our country as a member of Congress, … as representative of my home province where I took my oath as a first-term senator in 1998.”

She added: “Antique is a beautiful, rich and pristine province, but unfortunately, still vulnerable and poor. While I have poured in more projects in the province, especially on livelihood, education and health, I know that much more needs to be done to elevate the standard of living of my kasimanwa (province mates) and to help the most vulnerable and needy.”

Reelectionists Gov. Rhodora Cadiao of the National Unity Party and Vice Gov. Edgar Denosta of the NPC and their allies are backing Legarda’s candidacy.

Javier, although a member of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan, is running as an independent candidate. He is seeking to replace his son, Antique Rep. Paolo Everardo Javier, who is running for governor.

Javier is the younger brother of the late former governor Evelio Javier, who was shot and killed on Feb. 11, 1986, while monitoring the results of the snap presidential election between then President Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon “Cory” Aquino.

Javier has dominated Antique politics from 1987 until 2016. He served as representative of Antique for six terms from 1987 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2010, and as governor from 1998 to 2001 and from 2010 to 2016.

He benefited from the reflected glory of his brother Evelio, who is considered a martyr especially among Antique folk, for fighting and dying for the ideals of freedom, dignity, good governance, justice and peace.

The Comelec ordered Javier to step down from office on Feb. 3, 2015, in relation to an election offense. But the Supreme Court ordered his reinstatement shortly before the May 2016 elections, wherein he lost to Cadiao in the gubernatorial race.

Confidence

Javier is confident in getting back his previous post despite being out of office for three years and facing a senator with incumbent allies.

“We are doing good and we are going to win,” he told the Inquirer on Sunday.

“I have been doing many things in Antique, like [building] roads and irrigation systems, and [improving] rice production and food security. The people are asking, ‘What has Loren done for Antiqueños?’” Javier said.

The Inquirer tried to set an interview with Legarda through her staff but the senator declined.