Toledo polls likely to heat up with big rivals running

TOLEDO City is peaceful now, but the chances of intense political rivalry might happen, said Toledo Comelec Officer Michael Angelo Sarno.

Sarno said it might intensify since an incumbent mayor and a former senator are running for mayoral post.

“Posible ma-intense tungod kay mga bigatin man sila (It’s possible it might intensify since they are all heavy),” Sarno said.

Toledo Mayor Rudy Espinosa will run for reelection against former senator John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña.

Former congressman Antonio Yapha will run for vice mayor against Toledo Vice Mayor Arlene Espinosa-Zambo, Espinosa’s daughter.

Earlier, Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Eddie Aba said Toledo City was in the election watch list, as discussed during their Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) meeting last week.

Sarno said the PNP and Comelec Toledo will hold a peace covenant where rival parties commit to a peaceful election.

This is also to avoid untoward incidents during the campaign.

Toledo City has more than 98,000 registered voters.

Sarno said one of the possible problems they are facing is the poor transmission signal for the election results.

The Provincial Comelec cited that among those with poor signal are the ten barangays in San Fernando, mountain barangays in Toledo and midwest towns in Cebu.

The Comelec said the manual transmission is an option, but highly improbable.

Meanwhile, Toledo City will retrain DepEd personnel who will serve as board of election inspectors (BEI) on March 23 and 25.

Sarno said they will give the general instructions to the teachers and orient them on some amendments.

They will also remind the BEIs to be non-partisan based on Section 13 of Comelec Resolution 9640.

“No member of the BEI or its support staff shall engage in any partisan political activity or take part in the election except to discharge his duties as such and to vote,” a part of the resolution read.