TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Two mayoralty bets in Bohol province for the May 2016 elections beat the December 10 deadline for withdrawal and substitution of candidates.
Alburquerque town Mayor Efren Tungol withdrew his bid for re-election and replaced by his son, Efren Charles Tungol, under the Liberal Party, according to the Comelec provincial office.
The incumbent mayor, in his text message, confirmed this, but cited no reason why he backed out from the race against Eugenio Manon-og Salibay of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
Another mayoralty bet, former Sagbayan town mayor Jimmy Torrefranca, withdrew from the mayoralty race and is now running instead for vice-mayor under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) against LP bet Charito Piezas Lao.
Torrefranca’s withdrawal made reelectionist Mayor Ricardo Legaspi Suarez of the LP, the 4th unopposed mayoralty candidate in Bohol.
The three other mayoralty bets who have no opponents are Getafe Mayor Casey Shaun Monillas Camacho, Danao incumbent vice-mayor and former mayor Louis Thomas Gonzaga and Sikatuna reelectionist Mayor Jose Ellorimo.
Bohol, with three congressional districts, has a total of 757,144 voters. The vote-rich areas are Tagbilaran City with 54,100 voters, and the towns of Ubay with 40,803, Talibon (32,168), Carmen (27,844), Loon (26,340), Inabanga (25,817), Tubigon (25,704), and Dauis (24,607).
Other towns with 15,000 plus voters are: Calape with 19,547 voters, Guindulman (19,349), Panglao (19,248), Jagna (19 223), Candijay (18,451), Getafe (18,201), Trinidad (18,176), Buenavista (16,648), Mabini (15,549), Bien-Unido (15,384), and Pilar (15,169).
The towns with the lowest number of voters are Sevilla with 6,775, Lila (6,395), San Isidro (6,100), and Sikatuna (4,486). —Ric V. Obedencio (FREEMAN)