Albay’s candidates for 2016 Congressional Elections

Will Albay’s 2016 congressional elections be the game of the veterans? Indications show that it is given the historical and current political situation.

Since 2010, Fernando Gonzalez has been holding the majority votes of the Third District. He got 51% in 2010, and eventually raised it by 20% more in 2013. His challengers, Jaime Chua and Oliver Olaybal, while also noted names in their respective fields, still need to prove their worth in the congressional race. Gonzalez is running under the Liberal Party (LP) and enjoys a solid machine with more campaign funds coming. Olaybal is with the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice President Jejomar Binay. Chua, on the other hand, is running as an independent candidate.

In the First District, returning legislator, Edcel Lagman, also has an edge over his competitors Antonio Betito, and Gregorio Luis Contacto. When Lagman last ran for Congressman, he generated 129 thousand votes (84% of the total votes cast in the First District) in 2010 and delivered 57 thousand of these to his son, Grex, in the 2013 elections. In addition to the campaign funds from the LP, Edcel’s name continue to ring a bell that may deafen the other candidates when the votes are cast.

In the Second District, outgoing governor Joey Salceda, who is from the Third District, will vie for the Second District’s Congressional post. Challenging him are Joshua “Mr. Siram” Martinez, Jury Los Banos, and Virgilio Goyena. If the name recall as well as his gubernatorial votes he generated in the Second District will be the bases, then Salceda will be the runaway winner. But if the Second District voters will factor in his original place of residence, then there will be complications.

The complete list of candidates for Albay’s 2016 Congressional elections are as follows:

First District: