A walk in the park for unopposed candidates

Imee Marcos. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Unopposed candidates in northern and central Luzon can take it easy until Election Day when they troop to their voting precincts to make sure that at least one vote would be credited to their names.

The luckiest of them all are candidates in Santo Tomas town in Pangasinan and Candon City and San Vicente town, both in Ilocos Sur.

In Santo Tomas, mayoral candidate Timoteo Villar III, vice mayoral candidate Willy Pescador and the eight councilors are assured of winning their posts as they have no opponents.

The elections will just be a contest among the Santo Tomas council candidates on who will get the highest number of votes. The town has 7,139 voters (as of 2010) spread out in 10 villages.

In Candon City, mayoral candidate Ericson Singson and his uncle, reelectionist Vice Mayor Alfonso Singson, are unopposed. All 10 candidates for city councilor are also assured of winning their seats. The city has 30,960 voters as of 2010.

This is also the same case in San Vicente town (voting population: 6,679 as of 2010) where Jose Tabanda III is seeking the mayoral seat while his wife, Nancy, is seeking the vice mayoral post. All eight candidates for councilor in the town are also assured of getting elected.

Elsewhere in northern and central Luzon, seven candidates for representative, three for governor and five for vice governor are running unopposed.

Also without opponents are six candidates for city mayor, five for city vice mayor, 78 for town mayor and 75 for town vice mayor, Commission on Elections records showed.

Another term

The reelectionist governors assured of retaking their seats are Imee Marcos of Ilocos Norte, Junie Cua of Quirino and Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado of Bulacan.

Unopposed candidates for representative are Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte, first district), Baby Arenas (Pangasinan, third district), Marlyn Primicias-Agabas (Pangasinan, sixth district), Aline Alfonso (Cagayan, second district), Dakila Carlo Cua (Quirino, lone district), Joseph Violago (Nueva Ecija, second district) and Enrique Cojuangco (Tarlac, first district).

The six candidates for city mayor running unopposed are Jeffrey Nalupta (Batac), Ericson Singson (Candon), Eva Medina (Vigan), Amadeo Gregorio Perez IV (Urdaneta), Bernard Faustino Dy (Cauayan) and Josemarie Diaz (Ilagan).

The Ilocos leads the regions in central and northern Luzon in  the number of unopposed candidates for town mayor (32) and vice mayor (28).

This was followed by the Cordillera (18 candidates for mayor and 20 for vice mayor), Cagayan Valley (17 for mayor and 18 for vice mayor) and Central Luzon (11 for mayor and nine for vice mayor).

In Nueva Ecija, running unopposed for mayor are Josefino Angeles (Santa Rosa), Virgilio Bote (General Tinio) and Wilfredo Domingo (Licab). They are reelectionists. Among the candidates running unopposed in Pampanga are Lubao Mayor Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab, daughter of reelectionist Gov. Lilia Pineda, Macabebe Mayor Annette Flores-Balgan and her nephew, Vince Edward, who is running for vice mayor.

In Porac, Mayor Condralito de la Cruz and his running mate, Vice Mayor Dexter David, are also without challengers. Apalit Mayor Oscar Tetangco Jr. and Vice Mayor Pedro Nucom are unopposed in their reelection bids.

Other unopposed mayoral candidates in the region are Jorge Estanislao (Morong, Bataan), Vicente Esguerra (Pulilan, Bulacan), Jose Rodriguez (San Marcelino, Zambales) and Iluminado Pobre (Mayantoc, Tarlac).

Neophyte

Reelectionist Tarlac Representative Cojuangco’s son, Enrique “Kit” Cojuangco Jr., a political neophyte, is also running unopposed for vice governor.

In Ilocos Sur, the unopposed candidates for town mayor are Mar Ruel Sumabat of Alilem, Sammy Boy Parilla of Bantay, Germelina Goulart of Caoayan, Benjamin Maggay of Cervantes, Jessie Balingsat of Galimuyod, Clifford Patil-ao of Quirino, Leopoldo Gironella Jr. of Salcedo, Chester Elaydo of San Esteban, Jeremy Jesus Bueno of Santa, Mark Anthony Purisima of San Ildefonso, Teresita Valle of Sta. Cruz, Jose Tabanda III of San Vicente, Amado Tadena of Sto. Domingo, Josefino Miranda of Santiago, Aries Gaerlan of Sigay and Fernando Quiton of Sugpon.

In Pangasinan, the following mayoral candidates are unopposed: Ricardo Camacho (Bayambang), Silverio Alarcio Jr. (Laoac), Robert de Vera (San Jacinto), Villar (Sto. Tomas), Mina Joy Pangasinan (Sison) and Eldred Tumbocon (Umingan).

In Ilocos Norte: Nico dela Cruz (Bacarra), Arlene Torralba (Badoc), Crescente Garcia (Burgos), Lairvee Espiritu (Dumalneg), Aldrin Garvida (Nueva Era) and Eddie Guillen (Piddig).

Unopposed mayoral candidates in La Union are Ferdinand Tumbaga (Bagulin), Alfred Concepcion (Balaoan), Divina Velasco (San Gabriel) and Ruben Valero Jr. (San Juan).

Cuas

The Cuas of Quirino are assured of another three years of reign in their home province, with their patriarch, Gov. Junie Cua and his son, Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua, both running unopposed in their reelection bids.

The younger Cua’s assured victory will extend to 28 straight years, or since 1988, Quirino’s representation in Congress by members of only one family.

Junie Cua sat as representative for three consecutive terms before yielding the position to his wife, Maria Angela, in 1998. He reclaimed the House seat in 2001 and completed a second three-term stint until 2010.

Mayoral candidates Jerry Salda (Aglipay) and Marlo Guillermo (Diffun) are running unopposed.

Isabela’s unopposed candidates for mayor are Lourdes Panganiban (Angadanan), William Uy (Aurora), Thomas Pua Jr. (Delfin Albano), Daryl Gascon (Quezon), Marilou Sanchez (San Guillermo), Mike Dy (San Manuel), Leandro Antonio Talaue (Santo Tomas) and Arnold Bautista (Tumauini).

In Cagayan, they are Criselda Antonio (Alcala), Al Llopis (Calayan), Matthew Nolasco (Gattaran) and Aaron Sampaga (Pamplona).

Cordillera

In the Cordillera, the unopposed mayoral candidates in Abra are Victorino Baroña Jr. (Bucay), Salma Padilla (Daguioman), Ernesto Pacsa Jr. (San Isidro), Marco Bautista (San Juan), Guilbert Ballangan (Tubo) and Marjorie Lagen (Villaviciosa).

In Apayao, they are Elias Bulut (Calanasan), Leonardo Dangoy (Conner), Efren de San Jose (Flora), Joseph Amid (Kabugao), Betty Verzola (Luna) and Idol Guiang (Santa Marcela).

In Benguet, five mayoral candidates are unopposed. They are Mauricio Macay (Bokod), Faustino Aquisan (Kabayan), Benito Siadto (Kibungan), Arthur Baldo (Sablan) and Ruben Paoad (Tublay).

In Kalinga, James Edduba is running unopposed for mayor of Pasil.—Reports from Cristina Arzadon, Gabriel Cardinoza, Yolanda Sotelo, Leoncio Balbin Jr., Villamor Visaya Jr., Frank Cimatu and Melvin Gascon, Inquirer Northern Luzon, and Jo Martinez-Clemente, Tonette Orejas, Armand Galang, Anselmo Roque, Greg Refraccion, Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Cesar Villa and Robert Gonzaga, Inquirer Central Luzon