Bohol elects 18 new mayors

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, June 10 (PIA)—Some had it the easy way but the journey to the mayoralty seat of 18 newly elected mayors in Bohol is not as smooth as they wished it would be.

While two of these mayors cruised their ways to victory in uncontested seats, it would be blood, sweat and tears for the 16 who had to mount campaign sorties, mobilize campaign teams and

Cortes town mayor-elect Rodrigo Dennis B. Uy may have slipped through the electoral gauntlet by the skin of his teeth, winning over a popular youth leader, Ira Lois P. Lim, councillor and daughter of a former mayor by the slimmest of margins in the town in the 2025 national and local elections: 7 votes.

Vote-rich Loon town also had a head-to-head contest between former mayor Cesar Tomas R. Lopez and an opposition candidate, Liezl Go.

Lopez has just retired as the Provincial Health Officer, and his brother sat as former mayor, slipped through the fine mesh with 339 votes

On the other hand, political neophyte Dexter M. Angcla knew it was an uphill battle against longest reigning political dynasties in vote-rich Inabanga, and much more against the joint forces of incumbent mayor Jose Jono C. Jumamoy and his mother vice mayor Josephine Socorro C. Jumamoy.

But after weeks of vicious campaigning, boosted by his relative’s near-wins in the past plus the help of a son who sits as Bohol’s Sangguniang Kabataan youth sector representative, Angcla capped 3,999 votes against a young incumbent and bringing along his entire slate sweeping all the seats in the town’s legislative seat too.

The plurality of candidates in Maribojoc town significantly improved the chances of Jojo Roxas, a full term councilor, who was battling against an incumbent in Romeo Manuta and retired police offier and number 1 councilor Jose Abraw Arocha.

In the count, Roxas emerged with 504 votes more than the top councillor who also beat the incumbent mayor running for re-election.

In the second district, Bien Unido Councilor John Felix Garcia, whose parents and grandparents stood as foundations of the town, pitted himself against an incumbent mayor Rene Borenaga, but with 586 votes on the count, Garcia has set to build on the foundations his elders dug for the town.

In nearby President Carlos P Garcia island town, a heated fight ensued between Punong Barangay Kenneth Estavilla, elder brother of former mayor Fernado Eping Estavilla, as well as contractor and accomplished professional Engr. Vicente Cutamora over the seat vacated by Board member-elect Fernando Eping Estavilla.

Estavilla won by 858 votes.

In the third District, former mayor Sofronio Apat made a rather stealthy comeback when he beat incumbent and doctor Herminio Relampagos with 949 votes in a political duel in Dagohoy town.

In Alicia town, four candidates aiming for the chief executive’s seat also helped Marciano “Junjun” Ayuban Jr., son of former mayor Marnilou, who was challenging incumbent Victoriano Torres III (Dong T), Vice Mayor Cesyl Balahay and a recently retired police general Chito Bersaluna.

Ayuban however took 1,087 votes over closest contender in Bersaluna, who edged past Vice Mayor Balahay and incumbent Torres III.

In Jagna town, for the seat vacated by mayor Joseph Ranola who decided to go back to private life, had vice mayor Jose Pagar Jr., hassling with Can-upao Barangay chairman Mark Louie Monungolh for the empty post as local chief executive.

At 1,109 voted for him over vice mayor Pagar, Monunggolh won for Jagna.

In Catigbian’s top seat vacated by mayor Elizabeth M. Pace, former National Youth Commissioner Benjie Oliva fought it out with businessman Jesus J. Jaum. Oliva prevailed by 1,908 votes in the man-to-man fight.

Batuan’s mayoralty seat left by three term mayor Antonino Jumawid had vice mayor, former social welfare worker Zing Bulalaque against businessman and lawyer Manuel Tumanda. The lawyer won by 2,049 votes.

It was also a duel for former mayors: Dr. Jose Junie Yu and Julius Ceasar F. Herrera in a hotly contested race that saw Yu winning by 2,228 votes over Herrera.

In nearby Tubigon, it was also the same battle of giants: former mayor Marlo Amila and vice Mayor Rene Villaber whom incumbent mayor William Jao personally endorsed.

Amila won by 3,630 votes over Villaber.

The seat left by mayor Pureza V Chatto in Balilihan had her daughter Esther Patricia Chatto and former vice mayor Roy Adonis Olalo contesting by election.

In the end, Chatto prevailed by 4,382 votes over Olalo, in a notable election that shook the Chatto dynasty.

The same plurality of candidates in Ubay bid well for former councillor Violeta Reyes, wife of three term mayor Constantino Reyes, as the son of former mayor Eutiquio Boyles Sr., Eutiquio Borly Jr., vice mayor Victor Bonghanoy, JB Mendez, Arnie Arnsbac Bacolod and Marita Tabaniag all threw their hats for the seat.

Reyes won by 7,111 against closest rival Boyles and Bonghanoy.

Also considered among the most lopsided victories by challengers in the mayoralty race happened in vote-rich Dauis town when mayor Roman Bullen found an opposition in vice mayor Marietta T. Sumaylo. Sumaylo took an overwhelming plurality of 15,191 votes against the incumbent.

The rest of the mayors won in a spectacular fashion: Danao’s Celeste Cepedoza-Lerion run for the uncontested seat of mayor Jose Cepedoza and got 5,559 votes, while in Sevilla, Emmanuel Caberte also run solo for the seat vacated by mayor Juliet Dano and took 6,140 votes. (PIABohol)