NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.

Two barangay captains are running unopposed in the city for the October 30 barangay elections.

June Ramon Duroy for Poblacion II and Joseph Sagaral for San Isidro are both running unopposed while six, out of 15 barangays will be a three-cornered fight for their barangay captains.

The hotly contested polls are expected in 6 barangays with a three-cornered race namely,  Bool with Joseph San Jose, Rail Bugash and Jose Ringca; Booy with Ruperto Jeverola, Eutorgio Telmo, Jr and David Rey Tirol; Manga with Arnolfo Sagaral, Nilo Lumantas and Deogfracias Dalida;  Mansasa with Bernadette Blanco, Arvin Visarra and Arthur Cagadas; Poblacion III with Maureen Glovasa, Felixberto Remolador and Felix Castano;  Tiptip with Leonida Lumantas, Jeminador Landape and Antonio Sulague.

Barangays having one-on-one races for barangay captains are:  Cabawan between Sergio  Bangalao and Apolonio Onyot;  Cogon between Gneson Balbin and Gian Carlo Besas;  Dampas between Marlou Anana and Bernardito Alturas; Dao between Alberto Puagang and Noel Anore; Poblacion I between Ma Luz Quiobe and Ramil Patino; Taloto between Francis Eugene Zamora and Jay Penbaflor and Ubujan between Mary Jane Ruiz and Junlee Barimbao.

POLITICALLY CHARGED

The coming barangay elections in the city are perceived to be politically charged despite COMELEC’s pronouncement that the polls, like the SK, should be non-partisan.

Political observers told the Chronicle that Poblacion III and Manga were declared as free zones by Mayor Jane Yap while the 13 other barangays have strong contenders.

Meanwhile, despite the silence of Kagawad Atoy Torralba, observers noted 10 bets to be identified with him.

They are Bugash of Bool, Telmo of Booy, Onyot of Cabawan, Alturas of Dampas, Anore of Dao, Visarra of Mansasa, Patino of Poblacion I, Penaflor of Taloto, Sulague of Tiptip and Barimbao of Ubujan.