by Ven rebo Arigo
There are mayors who expressed their support to reelectionist 3rd District Rep. Kristine Alexie Tutor but not to the latter’s gubernatorial bet who is last-termer Second District Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado.
These mayors are steadfast in supporting Gov. Arthur Yap who is gunning for his second term in office.
“We are 100% for Yap,” Batuan Mayor Antonino Jumawid declared.
He said his group and all barangay captains also support Yap’s runningmate, Vice Gov. Rene Relampagos, who is also a reelectionist.
Another Tutor ally who will be supporting the Yap-Relampagos tandem for the top two Capitol posts is Mayor Hilario Ayuban of Loay town.
In addition, Dimiao Mayor Randolph Ang was reported to have expressed his support to Yap, too.
On social media, Ayuban disclosed the barometer used by his group in choosing who to support at the provincial and other higher local levels.
He posted, in the vernacular: “Ang panglantaw sa mas daghan pang mga kalambuhan nga ilang matabang sa atong lungsod. Kon kinsa ang atong gituhuan nga makatabang nga matuman ang mga gipangandoy natong mga proyekto.”
“Sa maong rason, ang ONE LOAY magsuporta sa…tandem ni Gov. Art Yap ug Vice Gov. Rene L. Relampagos,” the mayor who is running for a second term said. He filed his certificate of candidacy on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, together with other members of his ticket.
Erstwhile political foes in the said town have unified into the ONE LOAY coalition, with a full slate that includes Janjan Cubarol, Jr. for vice mayor and Jescelo Adiong, Tibbs Bullecer, Jr., Willy Flores, Nelson Lagura, Sinio Maquiling, John Paul Romero, Rey Supanga and Paul Tejano for councilors.
While some Tutor mayors support Yap-Relampagos, the latter’s group called the Padayon Bol-anon has fielded a strong contender for 3rd District congresswoman in the person of last-termer Valencia Mayor Maria Katrina Lim.
Lim is a niece of the late Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim, herself a Padayon Bol-anon pillar. Former Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim was then Gov. Edgar Chatto’s vice governor for 2 terms. Chatto is currently, the 1st dist. congressman.
Meanwhile, former Carmen Mayor Conchita Toribio-delos Reyes, who ran for Congress but bowed to Tutor in the 2019 election, has joined the Yap-Relampagos group in her mayoralty comeback.