Padaca files COC for Isabela governor

MANILA, Philippines - It could be the grandest, most colorful and most awaited match up among the governorship races in Northern Luzon.

Finally, Gov. Grace Padaca, after much suspense, filed her candidacy for re-election as governor, in the process setting the stage for a fourth showdown with the Dy clan since 2001, when she ran for Congress against Rep. Faustino Dy III for Isabela’s third district.

Now, both Padaca of the Liberal Party and Dy, who is identified with the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), but was nominated as official candidate of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, will be facing off for the second time, for the governorship, a post which the Dys had held for more than three decades until they lost it to Padaca in 2004.

Padaca, a former broadcast journalist who seized the governorship from then incumbent governor Faustino Dy Jr. in 2004 and went on for a second term against another Dy scion, former three-term governor Benjamin Dy, in 2007, formally filed her certificate of candidacy around 11 a.m. Monday, ending weeks of speculations about her political plans amid her party’s offer of a Senate slot for her.

For his part, Dy said his running for governor is “to bring back the glorious days of Isabela where there was ready medical and educational assistance, especially for our constituents in need.”

Padaca’s ally, outgoing second district Rep. Edwin Uy, who earlier declared to run for the governorship, had finally decided to slide down to the vice gubernatorial post in tandem with Padaca. The two have an existing political alliance since 2004.

Political observers here said the match up between Padaca, and Rep. Dy, now probably the most popular and charismatic Dy scion, would be undoubtedly the most exciting political battle to watch in the region.

Meanwhile, outgoing Rep. Manuel Mamba of the LP will challenge incumbent Gov. Alvaro Antonio of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD for the governorship of the country’s northernmost mainland Cagayan province.

A known ally of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Antonio and Mamba were former allies against then governor Edgar Lara of the NPC in 2007.

Lakas-Kampi loyalists

Majority of the incumbent local officials in the five provinces and 70 municipalities in Caraga Region who have already filed their respective COCs remained loyal to President Arroyo’s administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, except with the Barbers and Casurra groups who affiliated themselves with the Nacionalista Party.

While two of the Amante political clan bigwigs – incumbent Agusan del Norte Gov. John Amante and his sister, former Agusan del Norte governor and Rep. Maria Angelica Amante filed their COCs under Lakas. Their Butuan City mayoralty bet, Dr. Ferdinand Amante’s group filed their COCs under the Liberal Party. Lakas stalwarts – re-electionists first district Surigao del Norte Rep. Guillermo Romarate Jr. and second district Rep. Francisco Matugas who is vice president for Mindanao for Lakas-Kampi-CMD filed their respective COCs.

Matugas’ wife, former Department of Education regional director Sol Matugas filed her COC for Surigao del Norte governor under Lakas.

Majority of the 27 municipal mayors and vice mayors of Surigao del Norte filed their respective COCs under Lakas. The remaining filed their COCs under Nacionalista Party.

Meanwhile, former senior superintendent Cesar Mancao filed Monday his COC in the first district of Compostela Valley under the Ak­syon-Demokratiko of the Liberal Party.

“I think I am the best alternative to win in this elections given my credentials,” Mancao said in an earlier interview.

Accompanied by his family, other relatives and supporters, Mancao filed his COC before the Comelec office in the town of Nabunturan, hoping he would be able to defeat incumbent board member Maricar Apsay and lawyer Ferdinand Lopoz for the said congressional slot in Compostela Valley.

Compostela Valley Gov. Arthur Uy, who is running for re-election, said Lakas-Kampi-CMD would be behind the candidacy of Apsay against Mancao.

It came as a shock to all media present after the filing of COC of his eldest son Irvin Alcala, 32, when Rep. Proceso Alcala (second district-Quezon) announced in that he trusts his son to continue his legacy of serving the people with utmost sincerity and dedication.

Alcala said he believes that any government position is not permanent but should be given away to those who deserve it. He said he is not turning his back against the people who he said, he owed his political career but to give chance to younger people who are more capable of doing more than he had accomplished during his stint.

Ex-Quezon governor for Congress

Ex-Quezon governor Eduardo Rodriguez filed his COC Tuesday at the provincial Comelec for representative of the third district of Quezon province.

Rodriguez was nominated by the Liberal Party together with his alliance candidates Quezon Gov. Rafael Nantes, Vice Gov. Kelly Portes, fourth district Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada, and some political aspirants for the said party.

Rodriguez, known as approachable, humble and considerate during his incumbency as Que­zon governor from 1988 to 1998, had accomplished more infrastructure projects as well as negotiating the two electric power plants in the province. Team Energy in Pagbilao, formerly Mirant and Quezon Power Limited Inc. in Mauban, Quezon.

Political comeback

More than 400 candidates are running for 368 elective posts in Negros Occidental with political comebacks heating up the May 2010 elections.

In the gubernatorial race, former governor and Sugar Regulatory Administrator Rafael Coscolluela is back to challenge Sagay Mayor Alfredo Maranon Jr. and has teamed up with Dr. Enrico Elumba, former mayor of La Castellena town, to run against outgoing Rep. Genaro Alvarez of the sixth district.

Maranon, who served for three terms in Congress before he returned as mayor of the northern town of Sagay, is the brother of the late governor Joseph Maranon. Incumbent Gov. Isidro Zayco is running unopposed as mayor of Kabankalan City.

Coscolluela, an independent, is running under the local party Aton Tamdon Utod Negrosanon (ATUN) (Let’s Take Care of our Brother Negrenses). He was joined by his cousin, Mayor Esteban Coscolluela, who is now eyeing the third congressional district against newcomer Alfredo Benitez.

George Estregan Jr. files COC

Further in Laguna, local candidates from different towns in this province and their supporters trooped to the Comelec offices to file their COCs to run for local government posts and congressional seats as the deadline ended Tuesday.

A former action star turned politician, Ramon George “ER” Ejercito Estregan, 46, and his supporters filed his COC for governor at the Comelec provincial office in Sta. Cruz. Estregan, a nephew of former President Joseph Estrada, is running under the Partido ng Masang Pilipino.

Estregan, a three-term mayor of Pagsanjan came with his vice gubernatorial candidate, Ellen Reyes, a councilor in San Pablo City.

Former Laguna governor Joey Lina, and Dennis Lazaro, son of Laguna Gov. Teresita “Ning­ning” Lazaro and incumbent Vice Gov. Ramil Hernandez also joined the race for governor.

Former police general and ex-Calabarzon police director Jaime Caringal also filed his COC for Cabuyao mayor. In Los Baños, Anthony “Ton” Genuino, 27, son of Philippine Ammusement and Gaming Corp. chief Efraim Genuino filed his COC for mayor last week.

Three-term Calamba City Vice Mayor Pursing Oruga also filed his COC for Calamba City mayor.

A Butuan City balut maker who was the first recorded local bet in the entire Caraga Region to file his COC, withdrew his candidacy by filing an affidavit of withdrawal Sunday.

Jaime Monin Salan, 57, was supposed to run for Congress for Agusan del Norte’s first congressional district.

The post is now being held by a close ally of President Arroyo re-electionist Rep. Jose “Joboy” Aquino II, of Lakas-Kampi-CMD whose late father was former Rep. Jose Aquino, Sr. of then unified Agusan provinces.

Romualdezes file COCs

In Tacloban City, Mayor Alfred Romualdez, who is running for re-election, filed around 5 p.m. Monday his COC, together with his line-up under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, at the Comelec office here. That same day, Councilor Ranulfo “Bob” Abellanosa also filed his COC for mayor of Tacloban under the Liberal Party. Like Romualdez, Abellanosa was also accompanied by his line-up in filing their candidacies. Romualdez, who is gunning for a second term, filed his COC before city election officer, lawyer Rosemarie Polistico, together with his complete line-up headed by his running mate, former City Mayor Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez.

Also with the group were re-electionist Councilors Cristina Gonzalez-Romualdez, Bianco Mate, Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin, Robert Hernandez, and lawyer Antonio Lopez Jr. The others in the lineup were former vice mayor Edwin Chua, former Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) federation president Edward Frederick Chua, former city councilor Rebecca Pacanan, and newcomers Gerardo Mondragon, Santiago Lee, Marco Nardo, Jeric Dane “Tata” Granados, Robert Yap and Atty. Sergio Sumayod, the erstwhile city legal officer. – With Edith Regalado, Antonieta Lopez, Michelle Zoleta, Ed Amoroso, Ramil Bajo