Families, alliances continue to take control of top Leyte posts

TACLOBAN CITY, May 16 (PNA) -+ Despite dynasties being a subject of politics, families and political alliances still dominated Leyte’s elected officials in this year’s election.

Once an incumbent has held office for the maximum period allowed by law, a relative is offered up as candidate for the position. While other family names lost grip in some areas, new names are emerging to make their marks in the local political arena. In Leyte province, this is a common story in the last polls.

The Veloso-Loreto-Cari-Petilla clans of Leyte remain formidable with a clean sweep of its family members for respective positions they ran for in this year’s elections.

Leyte province elected for a second term Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla. His cousin, Carlo Loreto, will still sit as Leyte’s vice-governor, having run for his second term unopposed.

The governor’s mother, Remedios Petilla, earned a third term for the mayoralty seat of Palo town. 

The once typhoon-ravaged Palo is now touted as an emerging commercial hub in Leyte under her helm.

Their clan members in the 5th district, led by Baybay Mayor Carmen Cari won via landslide votes for a third term, while her son Michael, will still sit as the city’s vice-mayor. Another son, Carlos Cari, earned yet another term as representative in Leyte’s fifth district.

Another relative of the Veloso clan, Vicente, a retired Court of Appeals justice, is the newly proclaimed representative of Leyte’s 3rd district. The congressional district has been handled by a Veloso member before outgoing Rep. Andres Salvacion played into the scene for three terms.

Presumptive president, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, is himself a member of the Veloso clan.

In Leyte’s fourth district, actress-host Lucy Marie Torres-Gomez is still congressional representative. 

Her husband, actor Richard Gomez, finally succeeded in his political bid as mayor of Ormoc City.

Lucy’s brother, Matthew, is now board member for Leyte’s fourth district; while, her brother-in-law, Vince Rama gained a fresh term as city councilor.

Meanwhile, in other parts of Leyte, siblings, husband and wife, father and daughter or sons, run with and against each other in this year’s polls.

In Leyte’s 2nd district, neophyte Henry Ong, toppled the decades-long reign of Sergio Apostol and his family as district representative. Ong’s brother, Eduardo, will be on his second term as mayor of Carigara town as he defeated Apostol’s daughter, Anlie.

The Ong brothers belong to a family of businessmen, whose long-time business Cherry Foodarama, was sold to mall giant SM.

In other parts of Leyte, family tandems ruled the polls. In Abuyog, Lemuel Gin Traya defeated his mother for the mayoralty seat, while his father, Octavio Traya, will step down as mayor to hold the seat of the vice mayor.

In Javier town, Andok’s restaurant owner Leonardo Javier will serve his last term. His son, Michael, will be the vice mayor after both of them gained landslide votes.

Another father and son tandem is in Bato town where Tata Nile Gertos is the new mayor, while his father, Nael, will sit as the vice-mayor.

It’s a daughter-father tandem, on the other hand, in Jaro town, where Zharina Celebre, the daughter, is the new mayor, while her father, third-termer Mayor Rolando Celebre is the new vice-mayor.

It is a similar situation in nearby Capoocan town where three-termer mayor Federico Carolino Sr. is the new vice-mayor while his daughter, lawyer Fe Claire Carolino is the new town mayor.

In other towns, no sibling rivalry as Rene and Alice Leria are the new mayor and vice-mayor of Macarthur town, respectively; while Noli Ysidoro is again elected as mayor of Leyte town, and his brother Amay, gained a seat as municipal councilor.

On the other hand, it’s a wife and husband tandem in Kananga town with Weng Codilla as the newly elected mayor and husband Eming Codilla is the new vice-mayor.

While in Dulag town, lawyer Mildred Que, will take the reins as the town mayor from her father, Manuel Sia-Que, who is now on his third term. (PNA)

FFC/SQM/AHLETTE C. REYES/EGR