Baguio City local Candidates - May 10, 2010

The multi-party system elections is more confusing, if not more disturbing.  Baguio City is such a small city with a population that shows to be around 292,977 (as of May 2007), according to the PLDT directory for 2009-2010.  The registered voters list is around 155,000 according to a local web site.  The number of candidates for the top positions is just crazy!  Let's hope that voters in Baguio vote wisely and intelligently.  There are ten (10) running for Mayor and here's the list: 

• 01 Barcelo, Ruben Liwag "Ben"; (IND. )
• 02 Busacay-lazo, Erlinda Adan "Erlinda"; (IND. )
• 03 Domogan, Mauricio Gamsao "Morris"; (LKS-KAM )
• 04 Go, Marquez Ocampo "Mark"; (PMP )
• 05 Hernandez, Guillermo Codinera "Willie"; (IND. )
• 06 Labo, Ramon Jr Lozano "Jun"; (IND. )
• 07 Mandapat, Julius Javier "Butch"; (IND. )
• 08 Molintas, Jose Mencio "Joe"; (LP )
• 09 Puzon, Peter Dulay "Terminator"; (IND. )
• 10 Sembrano, Elaine Dominguez "Kabsat"; (PDP LABAN )

For the Congressional seat, 9 running for it and they are:

• 01 Avila, Edgar Mendoza "Ed"; (PMP )
• 02 Balisong, Rocky Thomas Aspilan "Rocky"; (NP )
• 03 Bautista, Reinaldo Asperin "Rey"; (IND. )
• 04 Bello Iii, Dwight Nicolas Advincula "Ike"; (IND. )
• 05 Quilala, Rabinrandranah Pablo "Kabagis"; (PDP LABAN )
• 06 Ramos, Felipe Tribonalo "Felipe"; (IND. )
• 07 Vergara, Bernardo Mangaoang "Bernie"; (LKS-KAM )
• 08 Yangot, Leandro Jr. Bagto "Leandro"; (LP )
• 09 Yaranon, Braulio Dacanay "Raul"; (LDP )

There are 57 candidates for the City Council and only three (3) running for Vice-Mayor!


If there are 10 candidates for Mayor and 9 for Congress, then this simply shows that each of these candidates do not believe each other for the benefit of Baguio!  Anyone who wins in those two posts will win in number or by popularity but not by majority.  The majority would have voted for someone else.  How would you let an election winner seat in an elective position who was not voted by the majority?

With the number of those running for mayor and congress it is a display that, except for the incumbents of course, the rest were not satisfied on how they served the city.  Both incumbents are now running for the other seat.  One has been a ping-pong ball on both seats while the other intends to jump to a higher seat.

Years before, I think even when the multi-party system was already in, there would be only at most, 4 candidates for each Mayoralty and Congressional seat in Baguio.  Very often, the winner wins by majority, if not real close to it.