Is the Bacacay mayoralty elections already in the bag of the incumbent, Dinky Romano, who is running under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) banner?

So it appears.

Except for Councilor Edsel Bellesa, Romano’s challengers do not seem to have a good poll record to begin with. Rolando Bermundo, who wanted to have a rematch with him, got only less than a thousand votes in 2016 as against Romano’s more than 17 thousand. Second, the challengers do not seem to have the necessary machine. Even Bellesa, who was 2016’s top vote-generating councilor, could not given secure an endorsement from a political party. Lastly, all the vice mayoralty and Sangguniang Bayan candidates would want to align with him that they all run independent except for Divina Bonavente, Romano’s official running mate.

The complete list of candidates is as follows>

Mayor

1. BEA, GIL BASCO (NPC)
2. BELLEZA, EDSEL BELBES (Independent)
3. BERMUNDO, ROLANDO BATALLA (Independent)
4. LIM, PEE JAY CLUTARIO (PDDS)
5. ROMANO, ARMANDO BARAGA (PDP-Laban)

Vice Mayor

1. BONAVENTE, DIVINA GRACIA BAÑARES (PDP-Laban)
2. BETITO, TOBIAS BIBON (Independent)
3. OSILA, JOSE FLORANTE CELA (Independent)

Councilor

1. ALVARADO, SERGIO ANTONIO V BARCEBAL (Independent)
2. BAÑADERA, BENITO BREQUILLO (Independent)
3. BARANDA, DENNIS BELGA (Independent)
4. BARBACENA, NERIO BANDOLA (PDP-Laban)
5. BARCENAS, RYAN BELLEN (Independent)
6. BARIA, RICHARD IBARRA (PDP-Laban)
7. BASILAN, ALFREDO BELGA (Independent)
8. BEA, PIO BASCO (Independent)
9. BELEN, CELESTE BIBAL(Independent)
10. BELLEZA, RODEL BELBES (Independent)
11. BELTRAN, ISIDRO JR. BARBACENA (Independent)
12. BERANGO, EMERITUS BELEN (PDP-Laban)
13. BERCASIO, CARLITO BEQUIO (Independent)
14. BERMAS, WILSON LAMTECSON (Independent)
15. BERMAS, HERBERT RODULF NARVAEZ (PDP-Laban)
16. BERMUNDO, NILDA BARCENAS (PDP-Laban)
17. BERMUNDO, EDGAR LLANETA (PDP-Laban)
18. BERNAL, LUIS BARBECHO (Independent)
19. BETITO, FROILAN MALTO (Independent)
20. BINAMIRA, ORLANDO BARNEDO (PDP-Lban)
21. CAO, GINA BELLEZA (Independent)
22. HEFTI, LITO BETITO (Independent)
23. NAVAREZ, SANTOS JR. HERNANDEZ (Independent)
24. NUÑEZ, MARIANO BEJO (Independent)
25. RODRIGUEZA, ALEXIE BARCELLANO (Independent)
26. TORRE, GIL BAÑAS (PDP-Laban)
27. TORRE, NANETTE ADAMOS (Independent)
28. VILLAR, ADELA PLESHETTE BELMONTE (Independent)

• Politics