CEBU’S UNOPPOSED BETS FOR CONGRESS IN MAY 2022 ELECTIONS: Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony ‘Samsam’ Gullas who is running for Cebu’s 1st district (left), Cebu 7th District Rep. Peter John Calderon (right), and Cebu 6th District Rep. Emmarie ‘Lolypop’ Ouano-Dizon for Mandaue City’s Lone District (center) | CDN Digital File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – At least three candidates in Cebu’s congressional race will be without opponents in next year’s elections, records from the Commission on Elections in Cebu (Comelec-Cebu) show.
These are incumbent Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony ‘Samsam’ Gullas, who is running for Cebu’s 1st district; reelectionist Cebu 7th District Rep. Peter John Calderon; and incumbent 6th District Rep. Emmarie ‘Lolypop’ Ouano-Dizon, who submitted her bid to run for the lone district of Mandaue City.
Unopposed candidates only needed one vote to win the race.
Filing for the Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) ended last Friday, October 8.
Gullas will be replacing his grandfather, incumbent Cebu 1st District Rep. Eduardo Gullas, who is set to retire from politics after the May 2022 polls.
“With his formal retirement in public service after the 2022 elections, I would like to thank Papa Eddie for taking care of the District,” Gullas said in a post on his Facebook page.
On the other hand, Mandaue City, for the first time, will be electing its first representative for Congress this May 9, 2022, after the law recognizing the city as a lone district was passed.
But Mandauehanons will still have to vote for Cebu’s governor, vice governor, and members of the Provincial Board from the sixth district, said Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano, Provincial Elections Supervisor of Comelec-Cebu.
“This is because the law passed only stated that Mandaue City, as a lone district, can only elect a member of the House of Representative… So Mandaue City will have to vote for the governor, vice governor, and for the Provincial Board,” said Castillano in a mix of English and Cebuano.
President Rodrigo Duterte in April 2019 passed Republic Act (RA) No. 11257 or An Act Separating the City of Mandaue from the Sixth Legislative District of the Province of Cebu to Constitute the Lone Legislative of the City of Mandaue.
RELATED STORIES
Lolypop Ouano wants Mandaue as lone district
Samsam Gullas files COC for Cebu First District Representative