Isabela town mayor passes away on All Saints’ Day

Mayor Bernardo Garcia Jr. —Cabatuan, Isabela Facebook

CABATUAN, ISABELA, Philippines — Mayor Bernardo Garcia Jr. of this town passed away on Nov. 1, his wife announced.

Mary Flor Domingcal Garcia, in a Facebook post on Saturday, said her husband died at about 6:22 a.m. on Friday at the Cauayan Medical Specialists Hospital in Cauayan City.

Mrs. Garcia did not specify the cause of death of her 63-year-old husband.

“He lived a fruitful life,” she said in her post.

Vice Mayor Charlton “Tonton” Uy, in a phone interview on Saturday night, expressed condolences to the family over the passing of his political rival.

With Garcia’s death, Uy, who was a three-term mayor before winning as vice mayor in the 2022 elections, is now town mayor by succession.

First-ranked Councilor Benjamin “Benben” Dy will assume the vice mayoral post.

According to Uy, local officials will discuss whether they will postpone the events commemorating the 75th year anniversary of the town’s foundation on Nov. 5 and Nov. 6 due to the passing of the mayor.

Garcia, Uy, Dy and Isabela Provincial Board Member Randolph Arreola filed their certificates of candidacy for the mayoral race in Cabatuan for the May 2025 elections.

Garcia was running as an independent candidate.

Previously a three-term councilor, Garcia defeated Uy’s wife Rowena for mayor in 2022. —Villamor Visaya Jr.