They only need one vote to win in 2013 elections

DUMAGUETE CITY—Only one vote is needed to win in next year’s elections for some candidates  who are running unopposed in Negros Oriental.

Mayor Ernesto “Jango” Uy of Mabinay town and his vice mayoral candidate, Enosario “Pektoy” Baldoza of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) is unchallenged. Mabinay is a third-class municipality (annual income: P35 million-P45 million)  with a voting population of 34,124 in 32 barangays (villages).

Three other vice mayoral candidates are unchallenged. They are Jose “Batchuk” Cardenas (Liberal Party) for Canlaon City, Alexander Tuballa (LP) of Bacong town, and Marianne Gustilo (Nacionalista Party) of Vallehermoso town.

Some towns and cities would have mayors and vice mayors belonging to the same family and running in the 2013 polls.

In Canlaon, former Mayor Judith Cardenas (United Nationalist Alliance) wants to reclaim the mayoral post with her son, Jose Jr. (LP) as running mate.

In Guihulngan City, Mayor Ernesto Reyes is now aspiring to become vice mayor while his son, Guido, is running to take his place. Both are LP candidates.

Mayor Reynaldo Tuanda (LP) of Jimalalud town is also willing to become vice mayor and be succeeded by his daughter, Hazel T. Billono.

Amlan Mayor Bentham de la Cruz is seeking reelection with his brother, Gino, as running mate. Both belong to the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

As of August, registered voters in Negros Oriental numbered 698,337, lower than the 714,761 in the May 10, 2010, elections. Provincial election supervisor Eddie Aba explained that the decline was due to a Commission on Elections (Comelec) move to delete the names of those who failed to vote in the last two elections.

However, Aba told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the figure was expected to surpass the 2010 voting population because the deletion of names had already been stopped as the registration of new voters continued.

New voters have until Oct. 31 to register.