Winners all: 3 Mindanao city mayors, 1 Governor running unopposed

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 09 February) – Three out of 33 city mayors in Mindanao and one of 28 Mindanao governors are winners even before the election campaign begins on March 28: they are running unopposed in the May 12 polls. 

Franklin Bautista is seeking reelection as Governor of Davao Occidental, and mayors Josef Cagas of Digos City,  Roderick Furigay of Lamitan City and Lemuel Acosta of Oroqueta City. 

Bautista’s brother Claude, the former Governor, is also running unopposed in his bid for releection as lone district representative of Davao Occidental while their sister, Lorna Bautista Bandigan, is running unopposed for Vice Governor. 

Cagas and Acosta are up for a third term while Furigay is seeking reelection although this will be his fifth term as mayor. Furigay was mayor of Isabela when it was established in 2004. He was mayor for three terms until 2013 and was elected to a fourth term in 2022. 

His wife, Rosita, also served as mayor for three terms, from 2013 to 2022. Rosita was among three persons killed in a shooting incident at the Ateneo de Manila University which led to the cancellation of the graduation of the School of Law on Juy 24, 2022. (MindaNews)