Maambong for Consolacion mayor

CEBU, Philippines - The mayoralty race in Consolacion town is now a four-cornered fight with the announcement of Provincial Board Member Victor Maambong to run for the town’s top post in next year’s elections.

Maambong, who is running under the One Cebu Party of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, will be running against his uncle, incumbent Consolacion Vice Mayor Ember Alinsug, Councilor Aurelio Abinales, and former vice mayor Teresa Alegado.

Maambong is seeking the mayoralty post in Consolacion after Garcia picked former provincial board member Gabriel Luigi Quisumbing as the party’s candidate for congressman in the Sixth District.

Alinsug will be running under the Nationalista Party, Alegado under the Liberal Party, while Abinales will be running under the Nationalist People’s Coalition. Abinales is running with incumbent Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob, who decided to seek the vice mayoralty post in next year’s polls.

After he won as mayor in the 2007 elections, Gungob said he would support Alinsug for mayor, but the two broke ties and Gungob decided to support Abinales.

In an interview with The Freeman, Maambong admitted he is facing a “big problem” with his uncle as opponent. He said he hopes to “settle” things with Alinsug before the deadline of the filing of certificate of candidacy tomorrow closes.

Alegado, for his part, has chosen former municipal councilor Aurelio Damole, the cousin of Abinales, as his running mate.

Meanwhile, Gungob said there is a minor change in his slate after former mayor Leo Go backed out from the councilatorial race. Go was replaced by Pastor Brando Cuizon, the head of the Protestant Church in Consolacion. – Jose P. Sollano/JMO (THE FREEMAN)