IN THE elections in 2022, Paz Radaza sought to defeat Lapu-Lapu City’s incumbent mayor, second term-seeking Junard “Ahong” Chan, but she ended up on the losing end.
Radaza, then the incumbent lone district representative, received only 45,634 votes or 23.49 percent of the 194,263 votes cast.
Chan’s margin of victory was 102,995 votes, after getting 148,629 votes or 76.51 percent of the vote.
Chan’s victory was part of a broader sweep by his party, which won most of the elective seats in the city during that election.
Running under PDP Laban, Radaza will try to win the mayor’s post again in the midterm elections in May 2025.
On Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, Radaza filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections’ local office, along with her slate.
Joining Radaza were Michael Dignos, her running mate for vice mayor, and Ryan Yuson, who is running for the city’s lone seat in the House of Representative.
In an interview, Radaza told reporters that the 12 individuals running for seats in the City Council are Edgardo Abing Abejo, Carolina Apa Acaba, Alan Jay Granada Amodia, Richard Catarinen Aparri, Rogelio Pelonio Aying, Arsenio Bering Berdin, Ferdinand Minion Cahilog, Delano Miguel Eviota, Eduardo Ramos Patalinjug, Ernesto Baclohan Tumulak, Teodulo Ngujo Ybañez, and Regina Potot Ybañez.
Radaza said before finalizing the lineup, her group considered the various services netizens could expect from the group.
Not her own decision
When asked what prompted her to run, she said that it was not her own decision but that the people had urged her to do so.
“I think they have experienced my managing style and care for the people,” she said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Meanwhile, Yuson promised that he will focus on healthcare services, including transforming the city hospital into a “cashless and cashier-less” facility where his fellow Oponganons will receive free services when they visit.
In 2022, Radaza and seven other public officials were convicted and sentenced by the Sandiganbayan in relation to a case involving misuse of P24.4 million in Girl Scouts of the Philippines funds.
Radaza was found guilty of two counts of graft and two counts of malversation of public funds.
She was sentenced to jail terms ranging from 18 to 30 years for the graft charges. For the malversation convictions, she was sentenced to 24 to 51 years of imprisonment.
The court ordered that Radaza and the other convicted officials be perpetually disqualified from holding any public office. Their retirement benefits were also forfeited.
Radaza’s camp has filed an appeal to reverse the anti-graft court’s decision.
Radaza is Lapu-Lapu City’s first female mayor, serving for three consecutive terms from 2010 to 2019. Then she served as representative from 2019 to 2022. Her husband, Arturo, also served for three consecutive terms sa mayor from 2001 to 2010.
In the 2019 elections, Arturo sought to return to the mayor’s office in a five-way contest. He placed second to Chan, receiving 66,108 votes compared to Chan’s 85,976.
The Radazas and Chan are former allies. / DPC