Bulut family retains political hold in Apayao

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – The Bulut clan strengthened their political hold in Apayao as family members and political allies dominated the recent elections in the Cordillera region’s youngest province.

Incumbent Gov. Elias Bulut Jr., of the Liberal Party (LP), beat Mading Almazan, of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), in the race for the governorship.

Re-electionist Rep. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang, of the Nationalist Peoples Coalition, trounced UNA’s Ambaro Sagle for the province’s lone congressional district seat.

Both the Bulut siblings ran for their second terms. Their father, Calanasan town Mayor Elias Bulut Sr., was unopposed in his bid for a fresh term. 

Mayor Bulut’s entire LP slate, from vice mayor to councilors, were also unopposed. The incumbent mayor, himself a former three-term congressman, is considered as the political patriarch of the province. 

Their candidate  for vice governor, incumbent Hector Pascua, was also unopposed, and so with their five re-electionist mayors – Leonardo Dangoy, of Conner; Efren San Jose, of Flora; Joseph Amid, of Kabugao; Betty Verzola, of Luna, and Rolly Guiang, of Sta. Marcela.

It was only in Pudtol town where the mayoralty post was contested by Barry Laoat, son of incumbent Mayor Batara Laoat, who won over UNA’s Ronald Almazan.

Consisting of seven municipalities, with Kabugao was  capital, Apayao was formally created as a province separate from Kalinga during the administration of the late President Cory Aquino  in 1995 through Republic Act 7878, authored by Bulut Sr.