INDIE CANDIDATES FOR TUBA’S TOP, COUNCIL SEATS SAY SURVEYS

January 4, 2025 Provincial

TUBA, Benguet

Councilor Roger Kitma leads two term mayor Clarita Sal-ongan for the top seat, two surveys made by an online news showed even as a former national government official running as an independent leads all candidates for the town’s eight council seats. Kitma garnered 45.3 percent of all the respondents in a survey conducted by Cordillera News before the year ended on December 31. But this is 9,8 percent down from the 55.1 percent he garnered in the initial survey conducted by the same online news last Christmas.

Sal-ongan, the Lakas – CMD municipal top candidate, improved to 41.9 percent, from the 34.8 percent she garnered
during the Christmas poll. That is a 7.1 percent increase from the 20.3 percent lead the incumbent councilor used to have a week earlier. The survey showed that if election were held now, it will be a two-way fight for the top local
position as three other candidates for said position are very much behind. In the Christmas survey, Julius Mandapat, who ran as vice mayor in Baguio in the past, is a far third with 7.2 percent, while the remaining 2.9 percent were shared by two other candidates, Gregorio Semon Jr. and Dickson Valeriano.

But the newer polls show Semon a slight advantage over Mandapat, 6.8 percent against the latter, while Valeriano took the tail with 0.7 percent. Vice mayor Maria Carantes, meanwhile, increased her lead over Zaldy Guileng by six
percent. Carantes was the choice of 55.1 percent of the respondents, while her opponent had 44.9 percent or a 10.2 percent lead. The new survey saw Salongan’s running mate garnering 58.1 percent while Guileng of the Partido Federal Pilipnas and Mandapat’s running mate, taking 41.9 percent of the pie. Kitma’s ally, former Anti Red Tape Agency executive Rabindrantah Quilala remains on top of the survey outperforming all other candidates for the eight
seat town council.

Some 40.6 percent of the respondents favored Quilala in the earlier survey, but saw a 5.5 percent decrease or 35.1 percent. Incumbent councilor Rebecca Apil, who is also an independent, remains second but a lower one at 31.1 percent from 31.9 percent. Incumbent councilor William Abance leapfrogged from a tie at fifth for the last spot to third with 30.4 percent from the 17.4. Eugene Gabino also made a big leap with 27.7 percent from the 17.4 and tied with Abance, while incumbent Oliver Paus improved to 25 percent from the 14.5 percent and is now at fifth spot from a tie at 11th in the earlier survey.

Gabino, Paus and Paus are all Lakas-CMD candidates. Garey Behis also improved to 23.6 percent from 20.3 percent
but dropped to sixth from third. The last two spots are now occupied by Rachelle Takinan who fell from a tie at third to seventh, from 20.3 percent to 18.2 percent, while lawyer Nestor Baban improved to the last spot with 16.2 percent from 17.4 percent. Two independent candidates occupy the ninth and 10th spots. The December 25 and 31 surveys, the online news said, “aim to gauge the current sentiment of voters in Tuba, Benguet. While it may not be the exact reflection of the final outcome, it provides insight into people’s preferences as of today.”

Earlier, Quilala topped the two surveys conducted by the Sigma Statistical Research Consultancy Baguio-Benguet Statistician for Hire that saw current top officials Rep. Eric Yap and Gov. Melchor Diclas. The surveys, done on December 11 and 18, saw the former Community ENR for Buguias leading with 51.7 percentage point for the first
one. That is some 14 percent higher than second placed Rebecca Apil, who like Quilala is an independent. The more recent survey still placed Quilala ahead with 49.6 percent. Observers say that Quilala, who is trying to be a comeback leader wanting to inspire change in the municipality, is having a “resurgence in the political scene has been met with enthusiasm, as residents recognize his extensive experience and proven commitment to meaningful change.”

Pigeon Lobien/ABN