Esmael Mangudadatu and Luis Singson
VIGAN CITY—Ilocos Sur and Maguindanao provinces are far apart but the election scenario is the same: Family members will fight each other for local seats in May 2022.
In Ilocos Sur, a father-and-son face-off is brewing as veteran politician Luis “Chavit” Singson will be running against his son, outgoing Gov. Ryan Luis Singson, in the race for the vice gubernatorial seat.
The 80-year-old Singson patriarch and his 41-year-old son both filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) to run for the same position on Friday morning.
Chavit, who served as Ilocos Sur governor between 1972 and 2013, is the incumbent mayor of Narvacan town and is the national president of the League of the Municipalities of the Philippines.
His son Ryan, who has been the governor of the province since 2013, is in his last term.
Ryan has teamed up with his wife, Patch Savellano-Singson, who also filed her candidacy on Friday to seek the gubernatorial seat and will run against Chavit’s running mate and brother Jerry Singson, the incumbent vice governor.
Chavit’s team will run under the National People’s Coalition party while Ryan’s camp filed under the local party, Bileg.
Ryan’s older brother Ronald Singson will run for first district representative against incumbent Rep. Deogracias Victor Savellano, who is Ryan’s father-in-law.
Probinsyano Ako party list Rep. Jose Singson Jr., younger brother of Chavit, will seek election as mayor of Vigan City.
Clashing clans
In Maguindanao, it will be a repeat of the 2019 political battle between the Mangudadatu cousins, only this time, the battleground has expanded to nearby Sultan Kudarat province.
Maguindanao Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu told reporters that one of his wives, beauty queen Sharifa Akeel, will run for governor of Sultan Kudarat, a post currently held by his cousin, Suharto Mangudadatu.
Suharto is husband of incumbent Maguindanao Gov. Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu, who defeated Esmael’s younger brother Freddie Mangudadatu in the 2019 gubernatorial race.
In 2022, Esmael will square off with Bai Mariam for Maguindanao governor. Akeel will face Suharto’s son, incumbent Datu Abdullah Sangki Mayor Pax Ali Sangki-Mangudadatu.
In 2019, Bai Mariam allied with former Maguindanao governor Sajid Uy Ampatuan, son of the late provincial strongman Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr. who was accused of masterminding the Nov. 23, 2009, massacre in Ampatuan town that killed 58 people, among them Esmael’s wife, Genalyn Tiamson.
The alliance is expected to remain for the 2022 polls.
Early birds
In Pangasinan province, among the early birds were Rep. Christopher de Venecia, son of former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., is running for his third term in the province’s fourth district under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats.
In the third district, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chair Maria Rachel Arenas also filed her COC as she attempts to take over the seat that her mother, Rose Marie Arenas, held for three terms.
Pampanga Third District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. is seeking reelection while his daughter Mica and son Brenz filed their COCs as provincial board member and city councilor, respectively. Rep. Carmelo Lazatin II of Pampanga’s first district also filed his COC for reelection.
In Palawan, outgoing Gov. Jose Alvarez filed his COC to represent the second district of the island province.
In the frontier town of Kalayaan, Mayor Roberto Del Mundo seeks reelection for his third and final term. Del Mundo’s party arrived at Pag-asa Island, the town’s seat of government, in the West Philippine Sea on Sept. 28 aboard ML Queen Seagull after almost three days of sea voyage from Puerto Princesa City.
In the southern Palawan town of Brooke’s Point, antimining advocate and suspended Mayor Jean Feliciano filed her COC for vice mayor. Feliciano was removed from office in July after receiving the suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman that found her guilty of “oppression or grave abuse of authority” for stopping the operations of Ipilan Nickel Corp. and demolishing its field offices and facilities in 2018.In Oriental Mindoro, former “Pinoy Big Brother” winner Ejay Falcon filed his COC as the vice gubernatorial running mate of reelectionist Gov. Humerlito Dolor.
Falcon has been with Dolor in his activities in various towns in the province since August.Incumbent Vice Gov. Antonio Perez, a lawyer, is expected to also file his COC for the same position in the coming days.
In Albay, Rep. Joey Salceda was also among the first to file a COC to seek his third and last term as representative of the province’s second district under Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.In Bohol, farmer Concepcion Tapayan Flores, 54, of Tubigon town was the first to file her COC for governor. Flores also ran for the post in 2019 elections but lost to incumbent Gov. Arthur Yap.
In Cebu, the younger brother of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Rep. Pablo John, filed his COC for reelection as representative of the third district of Cebu province.
Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. also filed his COC to run for first district representative of the province, replacing his grandfather Rep. Eduardo Gullas.
In Negros Occidental, fifth district Rep. Marilou Arroyo and former Deputy Speaker Mercedes Alvarez (sixth district) were among the first to file their COCs at the Commission on Elections on Friday for their respective reelection bid. —REPORTS FROM EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ, LEONCIO BALBIN JR., JOHN MICHAEL MUGAS, YOLANDA SOTELO, KIMBERLIE QUITASOL, VILLAMOR VISAYA JR., TONETTE OREJAS, JUN MALIG, GREG REFRACCION, ROMAR MIRANDA, MICHAEL JAUCIAN, MADONNA VIROLA, LEO UDTOHAN, CARLA P. GOMEZ, DALE ISRAEL, FRANCIS TIU SONCO, AND JOEY GABIETA