By Michelle Ducut
Thirty candidates across the Bicol Region, primarily incumbent officials seeking re-election, are running unopposed in the upcoming May 2025 local elections, according to data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Bicol office. Comelec Bicol Regional Director Maria Juana “Jane” S. Valeza confirmed the information, noting that these unopposed candidates span congressional, mayoral, vice mayoral, and councilor positions across four Bicol provinces.
The unopposed candidates include two congressional aspirants, six mayors, 13 vice mayors, and eight councilors. Although these candidates have no challengers, they must still secure votes in May 2025 to be officially declared winners, with even a single vote sufficient to confirm their positions.
The four Bicol provinces with uncontested candidates are Masbate, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, and Camarines Sur. Among the congressional seats, Sorsogon First District Representative Maria Bernadette Guevara Escudero, sister of Senate President Chiz Escudero, is seeking a second term under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) party. In Masbate, outgoing Governor Antonio Kho is running unopposed for the congressional seat in the first district under the Lakas-CMD party.
Masbate has the highest number of uncontested candidates, with both mayoral and vice-mayoral positions uncontested in multiple towns, including Pio V. Corpuz, San Jacinto, Uson, and Esperanza. All unopposed candidates in Masbate align with Lakas-CMD, Governor Kho’s party. The province also has eight uncontested councilor candidates in Cataingan, including Shara R. Adoptante and Criselda P. Talisic.
In Sorsogon, three NPC-affiliated candidates are running unopposed: Mayor Romeo D. Domasian of Prieto Diaz and vice mayoral candidates Avon D. Domalaon (Prieto Diaz) and Augusto Manuel M. Ragragio (Magallanes). Catanduanes has three unopposed candidates, including Mayor Vicente J. Tayam Jr. of Gigmoto and Mayor Cesar J. Robles of Panganiban, both under Lakas-CMD. In Camarines Sur, Jerry Jake R. Remoto of PDP is unopposed for the vice mayor post in Lagonoy.
Across the Bicol Region, 2, 673 candidates filed Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for various positions, including 286 mayoral candidates and 251 vice mayoral aspirants. The region also has 2, 136 candidates vying for city and municipal council seats and 45 congressional candidates. For the gubernatorial race in Bicol’s six provinces, 20 candidates have filed their COCs, while 17 are running for vice governor.