Multi-cornered battle in Baguio’s congressional race shaping up

BAGUIO CITY (October 1, 2024) -- A multi-cornered fight at Baguio City’s congressional race is beginning to shape up with former lawmaker Nicasio Aliping, cashing on his bid in Tuesday’s first day of filing of candidacies here.

At past 9:00 AM, independent bet Aliping, once Baguio’s lawmaker, seeks to redeem himself after he together with public works contractors were sued for illegal tree cutting and earth moving activities at the Mt. Sto. Tomas Forest Reserve in Tuba in 2016. He was though acquitted in 2022 and is again seeking his return into Congress.

Expected to bid in the five or six-cornered Baguio’s congressional race is Gladys Vergara, daughter of former Baguio City long-time Congressman Bernardo Vergara, who served the city for 12 years as Mayor then lawmaker. 

The younger Vergara, present chairperson of the Baguio Tourism Council (BTC), is scheduled to formally file her bid on October 7. She said, “there is a big clamor from the people of Baguio for her to become the city’s lone district legislator”.

Vergara sat as 1988 as youth representative in the City Council when she was the federation president of the then Kabataang Barangay (KB), now Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) in 1992.

Also long-time Baguio City Mayor and Congressman Mauricio G. Domogan, dubbed as the "Janitor" and was a Congressional Hall of Famer awardee, is also reportedly seeking Congress again.

Incumbent councilor, Isabelo "Poppo" Cosalan, is also gunning for the congressional seat under the administration ticket of Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who is seen to seek his third and final bid for the mayoral seat even as talk is ripe that he is running for senator this time.

Magalong’s slate with Cosalan, two-termer Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan and city councilors led by incumbent councilor Jose Molintas, are scheduled on the last day of the filing of COC’s on October 8.

Incumbent and third-termer representative Marquez Go’s wife, Soledad Go, is seeking his husband’s post in Congress, while talk is going around that his husband will fight it out with Magalong in the mayoral race.

Incumbent Councilor Benny Bomogao, is also reportedly trying his mettle in the congressional race, completing the would be 6-cornered congressional fight that could split the over 160,000 Baguio voters.

Meanwhile, COMELEC Baguio Election Officer Atty. John Paul Martin is reminding candidates to observe clean social media campaigning.  He stressed that no one should use Artificial-Intelligence generated tools to promote misinformation, disinformation and mal-information.  "Social media is an avenue, sometimes for your advocacy, pero pwede rin 'yang breeding ground for misinformation at 'yun ang prine-prevent natin during campaign, especially in calling out trolls and COMELEC is prepared to strike down these trolls.”  Meron tayong committee to strike down 'yung mga malicious at voter’s suppression posts that would violate the community’s standards of the social media platforms, in partnership with Meta AI," Martin warned.