Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas wins easy reelection bid

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas on Wednesday, May 11, affirmed his previous months’ assumptions of an easy win against his challenger, veteran broadcaster Salvador “Jun” Capulot.

Treñas of the National Unity Party bested Capulot of the People’s Reform Party in a landslide with 187,691 votes versus the latter’s 54,552. Independent mayoral candidate Vicente Ang got only 789 votes.

While there had been barbs thrown occasionally in this local election, many had already predicted the incumbent mayor would comfortably land on top, owing to the publicity the city has been getting under his leadership since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Treñas’ most formidable potential foe, former mayor Jose Espinosa III, had opted to challenge Julienne Baronda for the city’s lone congressional district seat.

Baronda won her match against Espinosa with 147,834 votes versus his 84,168. Other congressional candidates Juni Espinosa and Rudy Bantolo got 1,666 and 1,445 votes, respectively.

Incumbent Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon also effortlessly beat Capulot’s running mate, Khayzer Jadulos, with 164,570 votes to 41,667.

Former TV anchor Sedfrey Cabaluna topped this year’s local council race with 144,328 votes, followed by the mayor’s son Miguel Treñas with 131,882, Alan Zaldivar with 129,615, Frances Grace Parcon-Torres with 128,463, and Urminico Baronda rounding out the top five with 122,359.

Other council winners include reelectionists Rudolf Ganzon, Candice Tupas, Ely Estante, and Romel Duron, returning former councilor Plaridel Nava, and neophytes Rex Sarabia and Johnny Young. – Rappler.com

Joseph B.A. Marzan is a Visayas-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.