LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The province’s electorate elected five new municipal mayors and five new vice mayors who will be serving their respective municipalities from noon of June 30- 2022 up to noon of June 30, 2025 as shown by the results of the recently concluded May 9, 2022 synchronized national and local elections.
Boardmember Bernard Waclin is the mayor-elect of the mining town of Itogon who will be replacing three-term Mayor and losing congressional candidate Victorio T. Palangdan while Councilor Dax Godio is the town’s vice mayor-elect who will take the place of losing mayoralty candidate and incumbent Vice Mayor Adriano Carantes, Jr..
In Mankayan, former Vice Mayor Dario Banario emerged victorious as the town’s new mayor-elect edging out incumbent Mayor Frenzel Ayong by a slim margin of approximately 500 votes and former Mayor Materno Luspian, while Councilor Julio Joey Culiao won over incumbent Mayor Joseph Denver Tongngacan for the town’s vice-mayoralty post in the upcoming term.
Three-term Councilor Franklin Smith was proclaimed mayor-elect of Atok town besting incumbent Mayor Raymundo Sarac and Councilor Paquito Calantas during the recently concluded political exercise.
Contractor Florante Bantales, Jr. also emerged victorious as the mayor-elect of the mystical town of Kabayan, besting incumbent Mayor Louie Dawal, Jr. and 2 other municipal councilors and is ready to assume the post of municipal chief executive by next month, while Mike Badival also emerged as the town’s winning vice mayoralty candidate.
In Sablan, incumbent Councilor Alfredo Dacumos, Jr. won over incumbent Mayor Manuel Munar, Jr. for the mayoralty, while Vice Mayor Arthur Baldo was able to retain his post after being re-elected by the voters of the municipality for his second term.
In Bakun, Mayor Bill Raymundo retained his post while former mayor Fausto Lavinio was elected as the town’s vice mayor for the next term.
La Trinidad Mayor Romeo K. Salda, Kapangan Mayor Manny Fermin, Tublay Mayor Armando Lauro, Tuba Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan, Bokod Mayor Thomas Wales, Jr. and Buguias Mayor Ruben Tindaan retained their respective posts after being given a fresh mandate by their respective constituents. Kibungan Mayor Cesar Molitas was unopposed that paved the way for him to coast for a second term in office.
In Bokod, three-term Councilor Eric Donn Ignacio bested his 2 rivals for the town’s vice-mayoralty post to become the next presiding officer of the municipal council after the turnover ceremony by the end of next month.
Aside from Baldo, other vice mayors who retained their respective posts were Tuba Vice-mayor Maria Carantes, La Trinidad Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan, Tublay Vice-mayor Juan Esnera, who was unopposed for the said post; Kapangan Vice-mayor Mayo Eslay, Kibungan Vice-mayor Edwin Nitron, Atok Vice-mayor Angelito Galao and Buguias Vice-mayor Dione Baucas.
The winning candidates in the municipal level were proclaimed by the various members of the municipal board of canvassers after their votes were canvassed in their respective towns.
