For some Pangasinan, Visayas bets, polls over but the counting

For candidates running unopposed in Pangasinan and in several provinces and cities in the Visayas in next year’s elections, it’s all over but the counting.

In Pangasinan, only a set of candidates in Santo Tomas town—from mayor down to the town’s eight councilors—had filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) last week, Commission on Elections records showed.

Vice Mayor Timoteo Villar III is running for mayor while Councilor Wilfredo Pescador is aiming to be the town’s next vice mayor.

Seven of those who filed their COCs for Santo Tomas councilor are reelectionists while the eighth candidate will take over the seat that will be left by Pescador.

Santo Tomas, a fifth class town (with an average income of P15 to P25 million), has a population of 13,706 (as of 2007). It has 7,139 registered voters.

Visayas trend

Three other Pangasinan mayors are also running unopposed next year. They are Laoac Mayor Silverio Alarcio, Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo Gregorio Perez IV and Umingan Mayor Eldred Tumbocon.

In the Visayas, 14 candidates in Western Visayas, 12 in Negros Occidental and two in Capiz are sure winners in 2013.

Jessie Suarez, Negros Occidental election supervisor, said 12 candidates for mayor and vice mayor are running unchallenged in the province. The six unopposed mayoral bets are incumbents Gerardo Valmayor Jr. of San Carlos City, David Albert Lacson of EB Magalona, Ramon Torres of Bago City, Isidro Zayco of Kabankalan City and John Rey Tabujara of Cauayan, and newcomer Miguel Peña of Pulupandan.

The vice mayoral candidates running unopposed are Edgar Pagayonan of Manapla, Kent Javelosa of Sagay City, Nilo Lizares of Talisay, Luis Jalandoni III of La Carlota City, Antonio Suatengco of Pulupandan and Delia Anacan of Kabankalan City.

In Capiz, Vice Gov. Esteban Evan “Nonoy” Contreras and Dumarao Mayor Leslie Warren Benjamin, both of the Liberal Party, are running for reelection unopposed. Reports from Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon, and Carla Gomez and Felipe Celino, Inquirer Visayas