NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
Five names surfaced as probable candidates for Congressman in the first district of the province.
This development surfaced after former Tagbilaran City Mayor Baba Yap announced his bid to run against incumbent Congressman Edgar Chatto who expressed “sadness” on why the former did not inform the group of his congressional bid in the 2025 midterm elections.
Aside from Chatto and Yap, three other names surfaced as eyeing to join in the congressional race.
The latest name to emerge was Dr. Mutya Tirol-Macuno, daughter of former Gov. David Tirol. A physician by profession, Macuno is retiring as chief of the Gov. Celestino Gallares Regional Medical Center.
Macuno will meet with the first district mayors momentarily to announce her bid in the political arena.
The two other interested bets for Congress are lawyer Jordan Pizarras and social media influencer Willy Ramasola.
If the five will file their certificates of candidacy by October this year, whoever wins will be a minority congressman as the votes will be divided among them.
CHATTO, YAP MEETING?
There are reports that re-electionist Chatto and former City Mayor Yap will meet later this month.
Political observers said the meeting, if it pushes thru, will be more of a formality for Yap to personally declare his candidacy for Congress.
Supporters of Yap said they did not see any possibility for Yap to withdraw his candidacy.
It may be recalled that several attempts were made to push the former city mayor to run for governor.
The first attempt was when “Asenso Pa More” tarpaulins were seen in the three congressional districts announcing Yap’s interest to run for governor in the 2025 polls.
There was also an attempt to create a rift between Gov. Aris Aumentado and Rep. Alexi Tutor. This was done during the barangay elections where Aumentado was rumored to support Balbin, instead of Tutor’s brother who ran for barangay captain in Cogon district, this city.
The game plan was for this rift to cause Rep. Tutor to part ways with Aumentado in order to give way for a Tutor-Yap tandem for governor and vice governor in the 2025 polls.
OPPOSITION MEETS
TO PICK GUV BET
Opposition leaders met in Manila to continue their search for their gubernatorial bet to run against re-electionist Gov. Aris Aumentado who is still serving his six-month preventive suspension in connection with the investigation of the controversial construction of Captain’s Peak Resort within the Chocolate Hills protected area.
Former Gov. Art Yap and former Vice Gov. Rene Relampagos, both defeated in the 2022 polls, are on top of the planning for their provincial line up to run against the Aumentado-Balite administration.
Yap is rumored to be wanting a return bout with Aumentado in next year’s gubernatorial race.
Iat maybe recalled that Aumentado won a landslide victory against re-electionist Yap in the 2022 elections where Aumentado pooled 469,736 votes against Yap’s 283,903 votes or a margin of 185,833 votes, the biggest margin in a gubernatorial race in the province.
The defeat of Art Yap in the 2022 polls relegated him to the political doghouse in conformity with his statement that he will “leave local politics.”
There were reports that Art Yap will run for Panglao mayor. However, the registration date for candidates should be a year before the election day. Yap’s registration as a voter is still in Loboc.
Being a registered voter of Loboc, Yap can have the options either to run for governor or congressman in the 3rd district.