TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – The Liberal Party (LP) has finally laid down its card in the Cagayan gubernatorial race, fielding three-term Tuao town mayor William Mamba against Enrile-backed re-electionist Gov. Alvaro Antonio.
Cagayan election officer Catherine Allas said Mamba filed his certificate of candidacy as LP candidate last Dec. 18, or three days before today’s deadline for the substitution of candidates.
Mamba is running in place of Apolonio Serrano Valleros, said to be a close aide of his elder brother, former three-term congressman Manuel Mamba, now the presidential legislative affairs adviser.
“We have stronger chances this time with the many controversial issues haunting the provincial administration such as black sand mining,” said the elder Mamba.
The former congressman was defeated in the 2010 gubernatorial race by then second-term-seeking Antonio of the Team Cagayan of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who hails from Gonzaga town.
Team Cagayan comprises various political parties such as the Nationalist People’s Coalition and United Nationalist Alliance under whose banner Enrile’s son, first district Rep. Juan “Jack” Ponce Enrile Jr., is running for senator.
The elder Mamba, whose wife, former presidential youth affairs adviser Mabel Mamba, was appointed by President Aquino as director of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, expects the full backing of the administration party for his brother.
The younger Mamba’s vice gubernatorial running mate is former OIC governor Melvin Vargas, brother of second district Rep. Baby Aline Vargas-Alfonso. The Vargas siblings are children of the late long-time governor and congressman Florencio Vargas.
Vargas is up against three-term-seeking Vice Gov. Leonides Faustino, a relative of the Mambas but whose ties with the clan soured when he opted to side with Antonio in the 2010 polls.