Sitting village captains in Talisay spank rivals

CEBU, Philippines – Incumbent barangay captains in Talisay City still ruled last Monday's synchronized barangay and sangguniang kabataan (SK) elections, with 11 of them clinching their old posts.

Son of city Councilor Dennis Basillote, Charles, won his second term as barangay chief of Dumlog, and his younger brother Franklin was declared as the winning SK chairman of the same barangay.

Incumbent barangay chiefs Jose Juarez of Tapul and Manuel Cabriana of Tabunok ran unopposed in their respective barangays. Among the incumbent barangay chiefs who won in last Monday's polls were: Antonio Cabrera Jr. of barangay San Roque, Dario Villaver (Mohon),Teodoro Belleza (Poblacion), Joel Orbiso (Jaclupan), Perla Cabanes (Tanke), Raul Cabañero (Bulacao), Delia Ybañez (Lawaan III) and Marlowe Dagohoy (Biasong). Challenger Victor Cabatas (Maghaway) also won.

However, two re-electionist barangay chiefs - Reynaldo Sedentario of barangay Linao and Saturnino Navecilla - did not do well as their 11 counterparts.

Sedentario lost to Fe Ylanan, wife of City Councilor Val Ylanan, who he earlier welcomed in his party as one of his seven council members but junked at the last minute.

Challenged, Ylanan, who was appointed as a new member of the council after her husband vacated his post, decided to contest Sedentario, and won by a 501 vote margin. Ylanan's son Val Joseph was also elected as SK chairman.

First-term Navecilla, meanwhile, was toppled from power by Luciano Cabingatan Jr.

Meanwhile, some of those who ran in the May elections and failed were fortunate last Monday. 

Doroteo Emit, for one, is now the incoming Pooc barangay chief. Emit, a Liberal Party candidate last May, was elected as number 11 in the city council.

His party-mates like Ricky Tabay was also elected as barangay councilman in Poblacion, the same also with Consul Lee (barangay councilman of Lawaan II) and Aldin Diaz in Dumlog.

Family members of city council members got also elected last Monday.

Son of former City councilor Arturo Bas, now city public information officer, Marc Ferdinand Bas, won as barangay chief of Lagtang. Wife of Vice Mayor Alan Bucao, Marieta, also won as barangay chief of San Isidro, defeating Regino Sanchez, a former barangay chief, by a 313 vote margin. Bucao's son Gabrielle Marc Alan was also proclaimed as the newly elected SK chairman, winning over Synthia Caballero, daughter of minority City Councilor Danilo Caballero, by 19 votes. Maria Wina Alesna, wife of city Councilor Edward, is also the newly elected barangay council member of Poblacion. Minority City Councilor Romeo Villarante's brother Edmundo was also elected as member of Poblacion barangay council.

Meanwhile, outgoing Pooc barangay chairman and Association of Barangay Councils president Osmundo Manreal Jr. and Cansojong SK chairman and SK Federation president April Marie Cabigas, both are ex-officio members of the city council, also won as number one and seven barangay council members, respectively, in their respective barangays.

In barangay Lawaan I, mediaman Joy Tumulak, who assumed office last July following the death of barangay chief Jerson Laceda, was defeated by Ronald Lastimosa by 406 votes. Lawaan II has a new barangay chief, too, by the name of Pelonio Buenaventura. Manipis also elected Renato Manayon as its new chairman. Ma. Catherine Laurente, wife of outgoing barangay chief Joselito, was defeated by 74 votes.

Candulawan also elected Virgilio Bacalso as its new chief while Cansojong welcomed its former barangay chief Nicasio Hermosa to become its incoming chairman. Hermosa defeated businessman Resty Seville by 1,178 votes.

Meanwhile, opposition City Councilor Romeo Villarante said he is positive their party will get the ABC and SKF presidencies, considering that they have the numbers now.

Villarante said he believes that 12 of the 22 barangay captains elected are from the opposition, while majority of the newly elected SK chairmen are also from their side. Presently, the two ex-officio members - Manreal and Cabigas are from the administration.

Presently, there are only three members of the opposition, namely, Villarante, Caballero, and Ylanan, and if Villarante's belief were to come true, they would be then five in the council. They have yet to pick their candidates for the elections of the ABC and SKF however, he said.

"If that happens, they (the administration) would no longer get the two-thirds of the votes," said Villarante. (FREEMAN)