ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/7 October) – It will be a four-cornered fight in the mayoralty race in the 2013 elections.
The four who filed their candidacies during last week’s five-day filing period are Deputy House Speaker and first district Rep. Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, Liberal Party (LP); second district Rep. Erico Basilio Fabian, Nacionalista Party (NP); former Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA); and Alberto Cajayon, Lakas-Christian and Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).
Running for vice mayor are reelectionist Cesar Iturralde, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP); former Dapitan City Councilor Mercy Arquiza-Fernandez, UNA; former city councilor Luis Climaco, NP; and Alexander Francisco, Independent.
Meanwhile, in the congressional race, five candidates have joined the race in each of the two districts.
Running in the first district are Mayor Celso Lobregat, LDP; former priest Crisanto dela Cruz, UNA; Chrisler Cabarrubias, Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP); Cesar Climaco Jr., Independent; and Abdurahman Tagayan, Independent.
Climaco is the son of this city’s legendary Mayor Cesar Climaco, a strong Martial Law critic who was assassinated in 1984 while he was inspecting a fire scene.
The candidates in the second district are former Vice Mayor Jose Manuel Dalipe, UNA; Councilor Lilia Nuño, Independent; Jose Lobregat, Adelante Zamboanga Party (AZaP); Francisco Enesando, Partido ng Manggagawa; and former Vice Mayor Abelardo Climaco Jr., Independent.
Lobregat is the younger brother of the incumbent and third term mayor who is running for congressman in the first district.
The LP has coalesced with the parties of the Lobregat brothers in forming a complete slate for the 2013 elections.
Meanwhile, 57 candidates filed their certificates of candidacy for city councilors. Of the total number, 26 are running in this city’s first congressional district while 31 in the second district.
The number of city councilors to be elected in each of the two congressional districts is eight. (MindaNews)