Provincial capitol of Sarangani. Photo from Sarangani Facebook page
MALUNGON, Sarangani (MindaNews / 08 October) – Sarangani province will see next year the emergence and re-emergence of officials with the same surnames, using the elections as a chance to reshuffle and readjust their reigns of power.
A father-and-daughter tandem from a known political family – the Constantinos of Malungon town, has filed on Saturday, October 5, their respective candidacies, for the helm of Sarangani province’s largest and only land-locked municipality in next year’s mid-term polls.
Political patriarch Reynaldo Constantino has pushed his bid to return as Malungon mayor while his lawyer daughter Tessa, now on her final term as mayor, will be his running mate.
The elder Constantino, fondly called in the town as Bongbong, served as Malungon mayor for three full terms, before his daughter took the town’s helm. The father-and-daughter tandem will campaign under the People’s Champ Movement (PCM) of boxing legend and former senator Manny Pacquiao.
The elder Constantino said he is running as town mayor to preserve Malungon’s “political stability.” Reynaldo’s father Felipe also served as mayor of the town for years until he became Sarangani vice governor.
“I am running out of necessity, napilitan ako,” the elder Constantino told reporters. He said it would be difficult for him to see the town with a different mayor while his daughter will just be vice mayor.
Reynaldo’s sister, Eleanor Constantino Saguigit, will vie for vice governor of Sarangani, as running mate of Mohammad Aquia, who will challenge the reelection bid of Sarangani Gov. Rogelio Pacquiao, brother of the boxing legend.
In the century-old town of Glan, only one family – the Yaps – has dominated local politics for decades already, albeit divided, as they either campaign together or against each other, at times switching positions in the local government unit.
There will be no more sibling rivalry in next year’s local elections, former Glan mayor Vivien Yap, now in her senior years, told reporters on Monday. “We are not getting any younger.”
She and her brother Enrique Jr. lost to their sibling and nephew – the father-and-son tandem of Glan incumbent Mayor Victor James Yap Sr. and Vice Mayor Victor James Yap Jr. in the 2022 elections.
According to Vivien, she will not anymore challenge her brother, the incumbent mayor, but will instead help her brother Enrique Jr, who also served as Glan mayor before, in his candidacy for Sarangani vice governor.
In Glan, considered one of the oldest towns even during the old empire province of Cotabato, the Yaps has been the ruling family with their father, the late Enrique Sr., serving as mayor for a long period during the Marcos Sr. martial law era.
The Yap siblings – Enrique Jr., Vivien and Victor James Sr., began quarreling over positions in 2010, when Enrique Jr. fielded his wife despite an alleged agreement with his siblings to allow his younger brother Victor James Sr. to take a shot at the mayoralty seat.
Enrique Jr. denied there was an agreement and ran for vice mayor as his wife’s running mate. The couple lost to Victor James Sr. and Vivien.
In coastal Kiamba town, the brother-in-law of former senator Pacquiao, Sarangani first district Board Member Russell Jamora, will challenge the reelection bid of town mayor George Falgui, who is seeking a second term.
Jamora, brother of Jinky Pacquiao, will have for his running mate incumbent Kiamba Vice Mayor Marie Jess Martinez-Ancheta.
Jamora is among the relatives and siblings of the former senator and boxing icon currently holding elective positions in Sarangani – provincial governor Rogelio, cousin Zyrex who is town mayor of Maasim and Zyrex’s brother Mark Joseph Pacquiao, who is ex-officio provincial board member.
Rogelio and Jamora are still in their first term in office while Zyrex will be gunning for a third and final term, while his brother Mark Joseph is seeking a seat in the Maasim town legislative council. (Rommel Rebollido / MindaNews)
