ILOILO City – A total of 21 candidates for barangay captain in this city for the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections have no opponents.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) data showed that 14 are incumbents, four are first-timers, and three are returnees as barangay captains.
Among the notable and unopposed candidates for barangay captains are incumbent barangay captain Ma. Irene Ong of President Roxas, City Proper district and currently the president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) or Liga ng mga Barangay in Iloilo City and Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) ex-officio member; incumbent barangay captain Reyland Hervias of Compania, Molo district and former ABC president and ex-officio SP member; and first-timer Dra. Julie Baronda of Javellana Extension, Jaro district.
Baronda is the mother of Iloilo City Lone District’s Congresswoman Julienne “Jam Jam” Baronda and the wife of City Councilor Urminico Baronda.
She was a three-term city councilor and was the head of the La Paz Maternity and Reproductive Health Center in La Paz district.
The other 18 candidates for barangay captain who are unopposed are the following:
Molo district
* North Fundidor – incumbent barangay captain Leo L. Aristoza
* South Fundidor – Aris Servando (first timer)
City Proper district
* Roxas Village – incumbent barangay captain Melchor Conte
* Legaspi Dela Rama – incumbent barangay captain Sergio Espinosa
* Inday – incumbent barangay captain Edgar Alicante
* Sampaguita – incumbent barangay captain Antonio Antenor
Mandurriao district
* Bakhaw – incumbent barangay captain Joel Alvarado
* Taft North – incumbent barangay captain Napoleon Militar
Jaro district
* San Isidro – Alex John Jover (returnee)
* EL 98 – incumbent barangay captain Ian Jehh Parreñas
* Fatima – Jimmy Macero (returnee)
* MH Hechanova – incumbent barangay captain Nestor Ledesma
* Lopez Jaena – Albert Santiago (first timer)
* Luna – incumbent barangay captain Rey Bion
* Taytay Zone 2 – Gina Ilauria (first timer)
La Paz district
* Banayao – incumbent barangay captain Ruby Ann Geanga
Arevalo district
* Sto. Niño Sur – Nestor Espinosa (returnee)
Lapuz district
* Libertad – incumbent barangay captain Marites Nava
Will they automatically win or have to secure votes?
Jonathan Sayno, Iloilo City assistant election officer, said unopposed candidates have to secure at least one vote to win.
However, Sayno still encouraged the public to vote to determine how much the community favored the lone candidate.
“Amo ni sila ang mga unopposed nga nagahulat na lang kon san-o sila maga-assume, but I told them nga i-encourage ang ila mga tawo nga isulat ang pangalan sa ila balota para overwhelming bisan wala kontra,” Sayno told Panay News yesterday.
Winners of the barangay and SK elections will formally assume posts on Nov. 30 at noon, with two years in term or until Nov. 30, 2025.
The Comelec is still segregating data to determine which SK chairs are unopposed.
6,670 candidates for barangay and SK elections
From Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, Comelec-Iloilo City accepted 6,760 candidates from 180 barangays.
Sayno said the last two days of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) went well.
Only 451 COCs were catered on the last day, far from the Comelec’s expected of more than 1,000.
“Namati sila sa aton pangabay nga indi maghulat sang rush hours. Ang first day amo to ang gin-consider naton nga last day kay amo to ang pinakadamo nga more than 2,200 COCs,” said Sayno.
After COC filing what’s next?
Sayno said election officers will conduct a profiling of candidates to determine if all are qualified to run in the elections.
Comelec personnel will recheck COC forms, including whether or not the candidate is a registered voter in the barangay or is within the age limit.
For the SK chairman, the candidate must be 18 years old on the day of the election but not more than 24 years old by the day of the election.
For barangay officials, they should be 18 years old and above.
The Comelec central office has given all election offices in the country until Sept. 5 to produce a certified list of candidates.
Once completed, the certified list should be posted in every barangay.
Premature campaigning
As the COC filing ended, the 6,760 candidates are reminded that premature campaigning is prohibited from Sept. 3 to Oct. 18.
“Starting Sept. 3 tubtob sa Oct. 18, amo na period nga ginabawal ang campaign not only sa candidates but also sa mga supporters,” reminded Sayno.
He added: “Ining pag-violate sang premature campaigning may ara nga one year up to six years imprisonment kag may disqualification sa part sang candidates.”
Sayno urged candidates and supporters to wait for the official start of the campaign period, which is from Oct. 19 to 28./PN
