TACLOBAN CITY––For the first time in history, voters of Southern Leyte province will elect two representatives in the 2022 elections.
Republic Act 11198, which was approved on Feb. 19, 2019, reapportioned the lone congressional district of the province into two.
Rep. Roger Mercado, who is seeking a new term for the province’s first congressional district, sponsored the law.
The first district, which has a voting population of 132,114 as of the 2019 elections, covers Maasin City and the towns of Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Limasawa, Malitbog, Tomas Oppus, and Bontoc.
Mercado will be slugging it out for the post against two other candidates.
Sogod, Libagon, Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan, San Ricardo, Saint Bernard, Anahawan, San Juan, Hinundayan, Hinunangan, and Silago towns comprise the newly created second congressional district, which has more than 160,200 registered voters.
Vice Gov. Christopher Yap, a political ally of Mercado, will run for congressman in the district.
Four others have filed their certificates of candidacy for the same post.
Mercado earlier said that having two representatives would mean more funding from the national government and Congress.
His brother, Damian, is seeking another term as governor of the province, while his son, Naccional, is running for his third term as mayor of Maasin City.