LIVE UPDATES: Filing of certificates of candidacy for local positions in the Visayas – 2022 PH elections

Leyte 4th District Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez has turned down senatorial nominations by standard-bearers of the 2022 presidential elections as she filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) for Ormoc City mayor on Friday, October 8.

Gomez was accompanied by her husband, incumbent Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, relatives, supporters, and members of their camp, the Ormoc Development Team (ODT), at the Ormoc City Commission on Elections (Comelec) Office. Read the full story.

Photo by Victoria Casela/Radyo Bandera Iloilo

Iloilo 1st District Representative Janette Garin filed her certificate of candidacy for re-election on Friday, October 8.

Garin will be running under the National Unity Party, jumping ship from the Nacionalista Party. She succeeded her husband, Richard, to the post in 2019.

She was one of the 70 representatives who voted against the bill which would have granted ABS-CBN a fresh legislative franchise.

As health secretary under the Aquino administration, she was implicated in the Dengvaxia controversy.

Photo by Joseph B.A. Marzan

Iloilo City Councilor Mandrie Malabor filed his certificate of candidacy for re-election on Friday, October 8.

Malabor, the son of the late former mayor Manuseto Malabor, will be running under reelectionist Mayor Jerry Treñas’ regional Uswag Ilonggo Party, but is not part of the mayor’s Team Uswag lineup. 

He ran in 2016 under the Liberal Party and in 2019 under the Nacionalista Party.

Ricardo “Cano Gwapo” Tan filed his candidacy for councilor under the Aksyon Demokratiko Pilipino on Friday, October 8.  

Tan served in the city council from 1995 to 1998, 1998 to 2001, and 2016 to 2019.

Rhea Gullas, the wife of Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas, filed her certificate of candidacy to run for her husband’s current post, on Friday, October 8.

“Today, I am filing my candidacy for the mayoral seat in Talisay City because I believe these qualities [being a stay-at-home-mom] – that others say are weaknesses – will help me become a loving mother to our beloved city,” Gullas said.

Samsam is running for congress as Cebu province’s 1st District representative. 

Former Iloilo 1st District representative Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr. filed his certificate of candidacy for Miag-ao mayor on Thursday, October 7.

Garin moved his voter registration to Miag-ao from neighboring Guimbal last May. He will be running under the banner of Lakas-CMD against Mayor Macario Napulan of the Nacionalista Party.

He represented the province’s 1st Distinct in Congress from 2013 to 2019, and was succeeded by his wife, former health secretary Janette.

Cebu City councilor David Tumulak filed his certificate of candidacy at the Comelec office here Thursday, October 7, becoming the third major candidate for the mayoral seat after Margot Osmeña and incumbent Vice Mayor Michael Rama.

Prior to this, Tumulak was a barangay councilor of Basak-Pardo in 1994 and later became the barangay captain in 2006. From 2013 to 2019, Tumulak served three consecutive terms as a city councilor. In the 2019 elections, he was a member of Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

In a Facebook post, Tumulak said that he planned to “give back” to the Cebuanos through public service.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes filed his certificate of candidacy, together with his party-mates, at the Mandaue City Comelec branch on Friday, October 8.

In July, Cortes announced that the Cortes-Ouano alliance remained intact and that he and his slate under “Team Mandaue” would run again in 2022.

Cortes will be joined by incumbent Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede and his council slate composed of former congresswoman Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, Joel Mangubat Seno, Jun Arcilla, Malcolm Sanchez, Maline Cortes Zafra, Anjong Ouano Icalina, Jimmy Lumapas, Ting Sol Cabahug, Cynthia Cinco Remedio, Oscar “ Oca” del Castillo, Mario Bihag, and Jen del Mar.

On Friday, October 7, Team Mandaue member Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon filed her candidacy for Mandaue City district representative, while party mates Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano and Glenn Soco filed for their candidacy for city board members.

In the 2019 elections, Team Mandaue won a landslide victory over former Mayor Gabriel Luis “Luigi” Quisumbing and his party.

Iloilo 5th District Board Member Carol-V Espinosa filed her certificate of candidacy for reelection on Thursday, October 7.

Espinosa will run this time under Isko Moreno’s party Aksyon Demokratiko, jumping ship from the Nacionalista Party.

Prior to her stint in the provincial board, she ran in 2016 for the Ajuy town council under the Liberal Party and won.

Incumbent Tacloban City mayor Alfred Romualdez filed his certificate of candidacy as a reelectionist on Thursday, October 7. His son and running mate Raymund Romualdez also filed his COC for vice mayor. 

They were accompanied by Alfred’s wife, former Tacloban mayor Cristina Romualdez, despite rumors of a supposed split which Cristina later on denied. 

In March 2021, Alfred was among the mayors found to have received early vaccination at a time when vaccines were reserved for medical frontliners. His son Raymund was often seen accompanying his father in visiting vaccination sites when the local government started its vaccine rollout. 

The Romualdezes are related to Imelda Marcos, wife of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Alfred will be running against the incumbent vice mayor Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin. Yaokasin was first elected as a city councilor in 2004, and was reelected twice. He was elected as vice mayor in 2013, and was reelected in 2016 and 2019. Yaokasin, meanwhile, said he joined the mayoral race to “spark change.”