Taguig Tiñga-Cayetano showdown begins Sunday

MANILA, Philippines—Easter Sunday will also mark the resurrection of the years-old Tiñga-Cayetano rivalry in Taguig, and the beginning of the political showdown for the May local elections.

Incumbent Mayor Laarni “Lani” Cayetano is scheduled to hold her proclamation rally at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Lower Bicutan Barangay Hall along C6 road, while her challenger, Rebecca Carissa “Rica” Tiñga, is slated to kick off the campaign period with a Mass and a motorcade at 1 p.m. at Barangay Pinagsama.

Rica is a former Taguig councilor and is the youngest child of Cayetano’s rival in the 2010 elections, former Supreme Court Justice Dante Tiñga. In 2010, Cayetano won by a slim margin, with 95,865 votes against Tiñga’s 93,445.

Tiñga filed an electoral protest which the Commission on Elections junked in October last year. The Comelec noted that the recount of 20 percent of votes from 43 selected precincts showed Cayetano was still in the lead, with 12,497 votes over Tiñga’s 12,011.  Tiñga elevated the election protest to the Supreme Court.

Rica is also the sister of Taguig Rep. Sigfrido “Freddie” Tiñga, who was mayor of the city from 2001 until Cayetano’s victory in 2010.