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.

Party Lists for May 2010 Elections

This is a current issue about the coming elections in the Philippines in May of 2010.  I have heard of the Party Lists and I never thought much about them until I was approached by a close friend whose brother-in-law is running under a party list.  There were other friends that previously ran for a Congressional seat under a party list and only solicited help by word-of-mouth as they were well funded.  In this one, I did a search on the internet about party lists because this was in particular for an indigenous party list.  One that came on top of the search is the Katribu Party List based in the same province I am in.
In the first part of their article "Progressive indigenous party list submits list of nominees, exposes dubious rivals" was an introduction of their nominees.  Immediately below were their suspicions on other indigenous party lists.  Very prominent were suspicions on those running that hold current positions in the government.  They were quick to mention that this is another ploy of the Gloria Arroyo Administration.
One party list they suspect is the "Agapay Indigenous Peoples Rights Alliance (A-IPRA)", where the lead nominee is Eugenio "Kenny" Insigne.  Kenny, who is known to me, rose from the ranks with different administrations.  He is a commissioner of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).  In getting to that position his intention is clear - to help indigenous people.  There are many positions in the National government, and if I were in his place being a lawyer, I would not chose that.
With the outgoing administration, chances are he might not hold that position for long after another takes over.  The only way he sees to continue helping indigenous people is to get elected under the same "field" he is in.  It is with much regret that hard-hitting indigenous party list is doing this to him, when he actually also has his roots in our city and province!  The nominees of that party list obviously have personal interests in running for a seat if they know that Kenny's roots is also in our city.  If they did not know, they should have researched a little and probably invited him to be among the nominees in their list.  In his current government, the position addresses the concern is on a nationwide scope.  The other party list can only truly represent their locality.  Doesn't that look selfish for a party list?