ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines
Four women in the four municipalities of Zamboanga Sibugay are seeking the top two positions against four political families in this year’s political contest.
For Apple Mae Malaki, who is seeking the vice mayoralty post of R.T. Lim town, running against the well-established Piodena family is “liberating”.
“It is liberating because you go against a system that has been there for 30 years,” Malaki, in an interview, said.
Piodenas in R.T. Lim
Young voters do not know other mayor and vice mayor the town has except for Danilo Piodena and his son, Michael.
The Piodenas have been in power since Danilo Piodena won as mayor in 2001. He previously held the position in 1995 but lost in the 1998 elections.
After he completed his three terms as mayor, Michael, who was the town’s vice mayor, ran in his stead and won while he took up the position of vice mayor.
When Michael’s term ended, the father again replaced him as mayor. The son served as vice mayor.
The 31-year-old Malaki, who is in her fourth year of Juris Doctor at the Philippine Law School, admitted that “it was not easy.”
She finds comfort in thinking that her win could start the end of an enduring political dynasty in her town.
Climacos in Tungawan
In nearby Tungawan town, another woman, Engineer Karen Arcillas Garcia, is up against the scion of a political family – Carlnan Climaco.
Climaco, the son of the former mayor of the town, ran for mayor in 2016 and won.
His cousin, who served as mayor since 2007, could have been his running mate as vice mayor in 2016. But Mayor Randy Climaco was killed in an ambush hours after he filed his candidacy for mayor in 2015.
Carlnan’s father, Zeny Climaco, also died from the assassin’s bullet in 2013.
Many voters in the town have not known any other name but the Climacos. But this does not deter Garcia from running.
Garcia, a former employee of the municipality, saw the need to rise up to the challenge.
After all that she saw as an employee of the local government under Climaco, Garcia cast her lot in this year’s elections.
She acknowledged that the late mayor was like a father to all, his cousin, the incumbent mayor, is different.
“I run for the sake of change,” she said.
Mendozas in Payao
Change is also in the mind of Elizabeth Gubat when she decided to run for mayor of Payao, a coastal town in the eastern part of the province.
Gubat is up against the son of Mayor Joeper Mendoza, councilor Joshua who is seeking to replace his father.
The mayor is running as councilor. It is not the first time he slid to a lower position.
In 2013, after serving his three terms as mayor, his wife, Carol, a public health nurse, ran for mayor and won. He returned to the position in 2016.
Gubat, a neophyte in politics, is practically up against a wall, but she decided to try ending the rule of the Mendozas.
Palmas in Diplahan
Diplahan mayor Eric Palma, the cousin of Governor Wilter Palma, is seeking re-election.
He could have run unopposed in this year’s elections if another neophyte in politics, Orcele Macoto, did not enter the race.
Macoto, the wife of a miner, will end the rule of the Palmas in the town since 2004 if she ever wins.
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It remains to be seen, however, how these women will fare in the coming elections.
Win or lose, Malaki said, it is already “a victory to try ending the rule of a political dynasty.” (Antonio Manaytay)
This story is supported by Internews under the Internews Philippines Story Grants 2022.
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