... AND OTHER INTERESTING BITS in a quick look at the May 9, 2022 election results:
ABORTED COMEBACK
'I’M (NOT) BACK.' A Tomas Osmeña meme, circulated in social media early in the campaign, captioned “I’m back,” would’ve resurfaced. But BOPK’s Margot Osmeña and most of her ticket were trounced last Monday.
With his wife’s loss, Tomas -- speculated mayor-wannabe Margot’s surrogate and conjugal chief executive -- may remain in the shadow government watching reelected Mike Rama’s administration.
JERJER IS 4TH OF 5
NOT THE LAST. Jerjer Cimafranca, independent candidate for Cebu Provincial Board member in the first district, may finish #4, out of five candidates. #1 Yoly Daan got 15,887 votes while #5 Dim Danatil got 395. Jerjer got 446: he’s not the tailender.
It’s not known how many voted or didn’t vote for him because of his first name, which in Cebuano-Bisaya idiom means sexual intercourse. Most voters may not even know he ran for public office.
SONS, DAUGHTERS, IN-LAWS
JAYPEE, JOSE, BEBOT, RHEA, BEA. The late mayor Edgardo Labella’s son, Jaypee Labella, is one of five Barug councilor bets who’re in the winning column in Cebu City north councilor’s race. JP comfortably lands #5.
Jose Abellanosa may be the sole survivor of BOPK councilor bets in Cebu City south, at #2. Representative Bebot Abellanosa’s other son, Bebot BG, trails Barug’s Edu Rama by more than 25,000 votes.
Representative Eddie Gullas’s daughter-in-law Rhea Gullas, had no rival and already won even before the balloting. She’s in place, in a good place.
Margot and Tomas Osmeña daughter-in-law Bea hasn’t survived with BOPK’s fall, landed #12, with two teammates between her and #8 Barug bet Francis Esparis.
QUEEN (OR KING) OF THE NORTH
NINA MABATID, CUTIE, RICHARD. Rachel “Cutie” del Mar, daughter of the late congressman Raul del Mar, dominates the Cebu City north race, with more than 40,000 votes over Nina Mabatid, who campaigned much earlier and harder and made more noise than any of her rivals or teammates. Cutie continues the del Mar brand, which Raul started, uninterrupted, since 1987, or 36 years ago.
Entertainer and businessman Richard Yap, who lost in 2019, pulled some surprise: he has 50,830 votes, just about 11,000 votes behind Nina. The “son” in this year’s fight was an alleged son whom he denied as his.
It’s not known how that affected the 2022 results but his bid looked doomed from the start by the vaunted del Mar base of Cutie, who bested Mary Ann de los Santos for the same seat in 2010, and the recent record of Nina, who finished #2 in the city north councilors race.
JUNJUN’S WIN STREAK
NOT STRONG OPPONENTS. Hilario Davide III became Cebu governor for two terms, from 2013 to 2019, mostly on hard work, integrity-laced family name and a non-combative stance. He was not known for “fiscalizing” Gwen’s administration. In the past two elections, when he ran for vice governor instead of the #1 position, luck must have played a part. In the 2019 and 2022 races, rival One Cebu fielded much weaker opponents against Junjun.
From the start, Junjun’s opponent Ma. Teresa Heyrosa was seen as a lame combatant, an unknown personality compared to Davide. The number of votes reelectionist Gov. Gwen Garcia pulled for herself (1.1 million plus) was huge compared to rival Ace Durano’s (271,000 plus). The disparity is much wider, when matched with teammate eye doctor Heyrosa’s votes (551,000 plus). Davide led over Heyrosa by 75,000 plus votes.
AHONG, SAMSAM, JONAS
TEAM DERETSO FALLS. Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard ‘Ahong’ Chan of Team Libre is not just defeating Rep. and former mayor Paz Radaza. He’s burying her, with a 103,000 plus lead. On top of that, his party has a total sweep of the City Council, led by his vice mayor Celsi Sitoy and Ahong’s congresswoman wife Cindi Chan. Another Radaza, Harry Don Radaza of the crushed Team Deretso, fell to #19 in the Sanggunian race.
‘REBELLION’ CRUSHED. Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas beat former ally Allan Bucao by 62,000 plus votes and his Alayon-NP party zeroed the opposition in the City Council. from vice mayor to the last councilor.
Two other Gullases also won, apparently newbies being launched to continue the family brand: wife Rhea, as congresswoman of the first district, and cousin Digul Gullas, #1 councilor.
CORTES, OUANO RULE. Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes defeated Olin Seno and his party PDP Laban totally controls the City Council, from vice mayor to #8 councilor. Partymate Lolypop Ouano-Dizon was unchallenged and got more votes than Mayor Cortes: Lolypop’s 153,004 with Jonas’s 102,786.
BRIDGE AND SITOY
Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) apparently helped the candidacy of Mayor Teche Sitoy-Cho, whose late father Malacanang legislative liaison officer and former Cordova mayor Adelino Sitoy was among those principally responsible for the bridge project.
Apparently, the CCLEX boost is not enough to save the candidacy of Mayor Sitoy-Cho. Suan Didoy of Lakas was leading with 4,000 plus votes. She’s losing with her vice mayor Em-Em Sitoy, with six of eight councilor seats going to the opposition.
[Election results used here were partial and unofficial but highly reliable. They were the results at the time of the news feed.]