4 in mayoral race in S. Upi

POLITICAL FILERS --- Shown right to left are incumbent Vice Mayor Abdullah “Bedz” A. Campong and Atty. Ruben Platon as they file their respective COCs  for the mayoralty race in South Upi, Maguindanao. With them is vice mayoralty aspirant Mohamad Digo U. Omar, Jr. (Anne Acost

SOUTH UPI, Maguindanao ---Re-electionist Mayor Reynalbert Insular of this town is facing three rivals for the local chief executive post.

The incumbent municipal vice mayor of this town, Abdullah ‘Bedz” A. Campong, has filed his certificate of candidacy last October 17 for the mayoralty, the position he held previously for three consecutive years (2007-2016). CLICK HERE TO READ MORE....

MohamadDigo U. Omar,Jr. is Campong’s running mateunder PDP-Laban. Their party ticket for the Sangguniang Bayan also filed their candidacies for the 2019 midterm elections.

Atty. Ruben Platon, the only official candidate under  the Liberal Party in South Upi, has also filed his mayoralty candidacy in the race against Insular with whom he has electoral protest but has not yet been resolved by the Commission on Elections.

Platon protested the proclamation of Insular in the May 2016 election due to alleged ballot rigging.

Another mayoralty candidate is Deonato Mokodef.

Vice Mayor Campong, in an interview, said his family has previously begged him to give up politics due to health condition, but public demand wants him to continue his political stewardship.

“Despite family decision to forego politics, the religious sector, group of elders, tribal leaders, educators, employees, and barangay chairmen and officials have kept pushing my family for me to run again as municipal mayor in the May 2019 polls,” Campong said.

In a bit of conscience following the public clamor, Campong said he was made to rethink the family decision or position, finally deciding not to decline the clamour of the people “for my services as a public servant.”

“Perhaps the people here are satisfied and contented with my administration, political performance, and accomplishments when then their municipal mayor,” he said in accepting once again the call for political leadership.

In the 2016 local government elections, Atty. Platon run as mayor with Campong as running mate, but the former lost to Insular under protest. (Anne Acosta)