TABUK CITY, Kalinga – An aspirant for the city’s coveted mayoralty post withdrew from the race in the upcoming May 9, 2022 synchronized national and local elections less than a week after the start of the 45-day campaign period for candidates seeking election for the available seats in the city governments.
In her video message to the people of the city, Dr. Josephine Balmaceda Odsey stated that her withdrawal from the city’s mayoralty race was done voluntarily without undue pressure from any individual or group.
She then endorsed the re-election bid of Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero because she believes in the vision of the city chief executive for the overall growth and development of the city being one of the projected next wave growth center in Northern Luzon.
Ms. Odsey claimed that she and the people of Tabuk are witnesses in the way the city government was effectively and efficiently managed by Mayor Estrañero and the development the city realised over the past 2 years of his administration, thus, she believes in Estrañero’s vision for the city.
Further, in her interaction with the people from the city’s barangays, she admitted that the residents are fully aware of the significant accomplishments of the administration of Mayor Estrañero in terms of the delivery of basic services to the people and the implementation of development projects on the ground which are beneficial to the greater majority of the city’s constituency, aside from the city government’s effective and efficient pandemic response during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis that prevailed over the past 2 years.
According to her, she had interacted with the aspirants for the city’s mayoralty post and she found out that the values she was looking for in a leader that can lead the city to greater heights was possessed by Mayor Estrañero, thus, she decided to withdraw her candidacy and support the re-election bid of the incumbent mayor for him to continue his service to the people and achieve his vision for the overall growth and development of the city.
For his part, Mayor Estrañero was elated on the decision of Ms. Odsey to withdraw from the city’s mayoralty race and assured he will work with her to solicit her inputs on how to further enhance the city government’s programs, projects and activities that will sustain the city’s progress and development in the future.
“We need people like Ms. Odsey to help us in enhancing our existing programs, projects and activities to sustain the city’s progress. We also need to partner with individuals and groups who can contribute in building a better city as we transition to the new normal so that we will be able to provide our people with a better place to study, work, live and do business,” Mayor Estrañero stressed.
Tabuk City is being groomed by the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera as the future regional center and a potential growth area because of the availability of vast tracks of land that could be developed for economic activities that will translate to the city’s progress in the future.
Ms. Odsey called on her tribemates and the people of Tabuk to vote for Mayor Estrañero on election day so that he can pursue the realisation of his vision for progress for all in the future.