Although far from the country’s seat of power, there is no shortage of interesting election races in Mindanao, south of the Philippines.
Even with the exclusion of Davao City, Davao del Sur, in particular, is home to compelling competitions worth noticing. For the upcoming elections, familiar names dominate the local scene, while in some towns, candidates are running unopposed.
Sulop town: Mayoral to council bets are unopposed
In Sulop, a third class town located south of Davao del Sur, all local candidates are running unopposed. The town has a population of 35,151, as of 2020 Census, with 24,114 registered voters, based on the 2022 elections.
The town’s incumbent mayor, lawyer Jose Jimmy Sagarino, is running for his last term with no opponent. He was not unopposed in 2022, and in fact won with 17,599 votes, over his opponent, Hugpong ng Pagbabago’s (HNP) Flor Sardido. He was unopposed in 2019 and still got 11,225 votes.
From running under the HNP slate led by Vice President Sara Duterte in 2019, Sagarino jumped to the Nacionalista Party in 2022, and is still running under the party allied with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Sagarino’s loyal running mate, lawyer Willie Villegas, is also running unopposed for the second time. Like Sagarino, the incumbent vice mayor was also unopposed during his 2019 bid. Villegas was challenged by HNP’s Marlon Sayson in 2022, but won over the HNP bet after securing 17,599 votes.
All the candidates for councilor running under Sardido and Villega’s ticket are also unopposed:
- Angel Calugas
- Edgar Dapusala
- Crispin Lovitos
- Michael Jose Macasaet
- Sebastian Mondejar Jr.
- Fredo Suelo
- Dever Torrefiel
- Daryl Villacampa
Meanwhile, Arthur Davin of the Marcos-allied Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) is also running unopposed in Magsaysay town.
Dureza son defends mayoralty post
Jesus “Jay” Dureza Jr., son of Rodrigo Duterte’s former presidential adviser on the peace process, Jesus Dureza, is gunning for the mayoralty post of Hagonoy town. The older Dureza, Duterte’s friend, resigned in 2018 after reported issues of corruption in his office. He explained that he took steps to stop the corruption and took responsibility for the incident.
Jay won as vice mayor in 2022, but became the town’s chief when long-time mayor and retired police general Franco Calida — former solicitor general Jose Calida’s reported cousin — died on June 11, 2023. Mayor Dureza took his oath as the new town chief in August of the same year.
He is running under Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) against the incumbent vice mayor, NP’s Michael Jhon Balindoa. The latter was the highest ranking councilor during the 2022 polls in their town, so he became the vice mayor when Jay assumed the mayoralty post.
Calida’s daughter, Micmic, also threw her hat into the political ring and is running against Dureza and Balindoa. Conrado Laza, who ran against the late mayor under HNP in 2022, is running for mayor once more.
Cagas vs Cagas for governor
Two members of the Cagas dynasty are fighting for Davao del Sur’s top post.
The incumbent governor, NP’s Yvonne Cagas, is being challenged by her cousin-in-law and former running mate, incumbent Vice Governor Riafe “Aiai” Cagas Fernandez. The two women both ran and won under NP’s flag in 2022, but this time around, Aiai is running under PMP.
Yvonne replaced her husband, former governor Marc Douglas, as governor in 2022. Her husband is the son of the late governor Douglas “Dodo” Cagas and former lawmaker Mercedes Cagas. Douglas had been identified with the opposition during the Marcos years, and was a member of PDP-Laban from 1984 to 1986.
When Douglas passed away from COVID-19 complications in 2021, Marc Douglas assumed the gubernatorial post, then his cousin, now Davao del Sur Lone District Representative John Tracy Cagas, became the vice governor since he got the highest votes as provincial board member in 2022.
Yvonne’s challenger, Aiai, is a lawyer by profession who ranked 8th in 1999 Bar Examinations. Aiai became co-founding partner at Cagas, Baña, and Fernandez Law Offices in 2003.
The other challenger in the gubernatorial race is independent candidate Jun Lustre, who ran for Digos City mayor in 2022, but lost.
Other Cagases are also seeking local positions. Former governor Marc Douglas is his wife’s running mate under NP. He is going against independent candidate Cowboy Cadungog. Two Cagases — Lalay Shiela and Lex Joseph — are running for provincial board member posts. In Digos City, Josef Cagas is running unopposed, while Liza Cagas is running for the city council.
Sara Duterte’s impeachment as a factor
But the biggest of all the races in the province is undeniably John Tracy’s battle to defend his congressional post in the impeachment aftermath. John Tracy is no ordinary lawmaker as he is the only congressman from the entire Davao Region who voted in favor of impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte.
Not even PBA Party-list Migs Nograles Almario, who belongs to a family of Duterte rivals, voted in favor of the complaint.
After his vote, social media users left negative comments on some of John Tracy’s posts in his Facebook page. This year’s polls will measure the impact of his Duterte impeachment vote on his constituents’ trust in him and his political career in general. Davao del Sur is home to Davao City, a Duterte bailiwick.
John Tracy is currently running under Marcos-allied NP.
John Tracy’s challenger is former Davao del Sur provincial board member and independent candidate Jun Blanco Malaza. The challenger also ran for the vice gubernatorial post in 2022, but lost to Aiai.
Malaza has the machinery since he is a local broadcaster and has already served at the provincial level. Although he is running as an independent, the challenger is banking on the local support for the Dutertes as he also appears to be campaigning for PDP Laban.
Malaza posted on Meta showing support for the Vice President and opposition to her impeachment. – Rappler.com