If in 2016 Tiwi was a battleground of the Liberal Party (LP) and the Nationalist Peoples’ Coalition (NPC) candidates, this year’s election is between NPC and the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). Unfortunately, some of those who were engaged in the battles just changed uniforms.

In the mayoralty race, there is a rematch between incumbent Mayor Jaime Villanueva and Leo Templado. Templado is staying with the NPC while Villanueva is donning the PDP-Laban shirt from his 2016’s LP shirt. Will he be rewarded a new mandate by the people of Tiwi for his lack of loyalty to a political party?

In the vice mayoralty race, incumbent Vice Mayor David Beato is also shredding his LP shirt in favor of PDP-Laban’s and will be facing top vote-getter councilor, Rebecca Lizardo. The councilor, who won as independent in 2016, is now running under NPC.

Nineteen candidates are also hoping to grab a seat in the Sangguniang Bayan. Five of these are incumbent councilors who switched from LP to PDP-Laban.

The complete list of candidates is as follows:

For Mayor

1. TEMPLADO, LEO (NPC)
2. VILLANUEVA, JAIME (PDP-Laban)

for Vice Mayor

1. BEATO, DAVID (PDP-Laban)
2. LIZARDO, REBECCA (NPC)

For Councilor

1. ALARTE, FRANCISCO (NPC)
2. BERAÑA, ALEX (IND)
3. BRON, JOHN (PDP-Laban)
4. CAMU, ADOLFO JR (PDP-Laban)
5. CAPA, RAMMEL (PDP-Laban)
6. CARLET, LORENZO (PDP-Laban)
7. CERUMA, AUGUSTO (IND)
8. CLIMACO, JOJO (NPC)
9. CORALDE, JOSE (NPC)
10. CORBILLA, SHILLA (PDP-Laban)
11. CORNELIO, NOLI (IND)
12. CORRAL, RUTH (NPC)
13. CRUCILLO, LORENZO (NPC)
14. DE LEON, AIDA (PDP-Laban)
15. DIONSON, JOMAR (NPC)
16. LOVEDORIAL,AVELINO SR. (PDP-Laban)
17. MENDEZ, REY (NPC)
18. TEMPLADO, JOSE BENNETT (NPC)
19. ZEPEDA, PELAGIA (PDP-Laban)

• Politics