134 candidates vie for 57 Punong Barangay posts in Samar’s capital

By NINFA B QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
October 26, 2007

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  Some  134 Punong Barangay (village chief) candidates have crowded the 57 vacant posts for village chieftain while more than a thousand heads are vying for some 299 kagawad thrones in Samar’s capital Catbalogan City.

In a list obtained from Catbalogan COMELEC Officer Edgar delos Reyes, the list revealed that some seven Punong Barangay candidates are sure-fire winners as they are virtually unopposed.

Zosimo Dacles of Barangay Albalate, Leo Panis of Bagongon, Jaime Labian of Darahuway Guti, Rafael Muñoz of Estaka, Violeta Nablo of Ibol, Manuel Dacuma of Lobo and Stephany Tan of Poblacion  04 are lucky candidates with no opponent.

While unopposed candidates are running in seven barangays, five Punong Barangay candidates are running in Barangay Poblacion 13 and Barangay Rama.

For Barangay Kagawad where there are only 399 vacant posts, some 1,118 have crowded the registry.

Based on COMELEC record, Barangay Maulong has the most number of Kagawad candidates with 37; Barangay Rama 31 and Barangay Guindapunan 30.

In the Sangguniang Kabataan scenario, as they too will be electing their Chairperson and seven kagawad on October 29, some 579 are competing for some 399 posts like the Punong Barangays.

Like the seven unopposed Punong Barangays, some five SK Chairmen are also running unopposed. SK Marvin Jabon of Barangay Bangon; Diano Pesidas of Barangay Canhawan Goti, Kristinna Cassandra Aquino of Poblacion 05; Ariel Candido of Poblacion 08 and Jovy Gabane of Barangay Totoringan.

Some 135 SK Chairman candidates have to fight it out to fill the 57 thrones as Barangay SK Chairmen.