BAGUIO CITY: After the December 21, 2012 deadline for withdrawals and replacements, the Commission on Election now has a final list of candidates, which will be in contention for the different elective positions for this city.

Among those who filed their candidacies for the representative of the lone district of Baguio: Nicasio Aliping, Independent; Miguel Arvisu, Independent; Marquez Go, Liberal Party (LP); Roly Manuel, Independent; Bernardo Vergara, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA); and Richard Zarate, Independent.

For the mayoralty post: Mauricio Domogan, UNA; Guillermo Hernan-dez, Independent; Ramon Labo Jr., Independent; Junior Mina Jr.; Independent; Jose Molintas, Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC); and Peter Puzon, Independent.

For vice-mayorship: Dwight Nicolas Bello 3rd, Independent; Van Oliver Dicang, NPC; Daniel Fariñas, Nationalista Party (NP); Francis Padawil, Independent; and Jeffrey Pinic, Independent.
Those who filed their certificates of candidacies for the position of city councilor are: Joel Alangsab, NP; Arthur Allad-iw, LP; Gerardo Antolin, independent; Anthony Araos, NPC; Fred Bagbagen, NP; Evelyn Pit-og, Independent; Rocky Balisong, NP; Rizalino Banta, Independent; Anna May Baquirin, Independent; Paul Batnag, Independent; Joderek Bautista, NP; Edison Bilog, LP; Emmanuel Carantes, Independent; Richard Cariño, NP; Isabelo Cosalan Jr., LP; Robin Coteng, Independent; Elmer Datuin, UNA; Mario de Guzman, Independent; Jeffrey Dimas, Independent; Frisco Domalsin, LDP-Laban; Rebecca Dulawan, LDP; George Dumawing Jr., UNA; Laliane Estolas, Independent; Peter Fianza, Independent; Basilio Fongayao, NPC; John Glenn Gaerlan, Independent; Zandro Ico, Independent; Perfecto Itliong Jr., Independent; Richard Jimenez, Independent; Orlando Lardizabal Jr., Independent; Bruce Limmayog, LP; Federico Mandapat Jr., UNA; Mabini Maskay, UNA; Roberto Ocampo, NPC; Faustino
Olowan, LP; Roberto Ortega, UNA; Ambrosio Palafox Jr., Independent; Rudolfo Paraan, LP; Ronald Perez, NP; Ramon Ramos Sr., Independent; Loida Soriano, Independent; Elaine Sembrano, NP; Betty Lourdes Tabanda, NUP; Edilberto Tenefrancia, Independent; Romeo Umali, Independent; Michael Uy, Independent; Peter Wasing, LP; Wegan-Allan Philian Louise, NP; Leandro Yangot, LP; and Lilia Yaranon, LP.

On December 20, two candidates of the Liberal Party withdrew their certificates of candidacies (CoCs) and were substituted by party members.

Dr. William Occidental, according to LP sources, was replaced by Anna Marie Baquirin, who earlier filed her COC as an independent candidate.

Dr. Agaton Yaranon, on the other hand, who also withdrew his COC was substituted by his mother, former city councilor Lilia Yaranon.

The Liberal Party is now in coalition with the National Peoples Coalition.

The coalition was formed after hotelier Fredie Gonzalez earlier withdrew his COC as standard-bearer for the mayoralty post under the Liberal Party.

On October, during the filling of COCs, it was rumored that Judge Edilberto Claravall of a regional trial court will replace Gonzalez as the LPs mayoralty bet.

However, Claravall informed his supporters that he was no longer interested in the position. Claravall was waiting for approval of the Supreme Court for his early retirement as a regional court judge.

Without any candidate for the mayoralty and vice-mayoral post, LP Baguio chairman and coalition spokesman Marquez Go announced the formal coalition between the Liberal Party and the Nationalist People’s Coalition earlier.

Go is the coalition’s candidate for the lone congressional district seat.

The NPC, on the other hand, is bannered by lawyer Jose “Jomol” Molintas, who himself is a former member of the Liberal Party.

Go, announced earlier that the coalition will banner the President’s battle cry of matuwid na daan as its campaign advocacy.

Aside from Go and Molintas, Van Dicang is the coalition’s official candidate for the vice mayoral post.

Also, the coalition’s candidates for councilors include, incumbent councilors Edison Bilog and Isabelo Cosalan, with former councilors Faustino Olowan and Lilia Yaranon, also included in the line up are: Art Allad-iw, Bruce Limayog, Rudy Paraan and Peter Wasing from the Liberal Party and Anthony Araos, Basilio Fongayao and Roberto Ocampo who filed their COCs under the NPC.|

The LP-NPC coalition will be facing mostly incumbents from the Timpuyog ti Baguio Coalition.