Dagupan Mayor “Bayaw” Redies as Bonuan Kap Bet

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The brother-in-law of the mayor here is being groomed for the chairmanship of the biggest village incase election in October this year will push through.

According to former Barangay Chairman  Angel Gumarang, Noel Bumanlag, the brother-in-law of Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, is being readied by political leaders of Barangay Bonuan Gueset to challenge the leadership of incumbent village chief Ricardo Mejia.

BATTLE ROYAL: From Left: Fair Haired "Boy" Noel Bumanlag, 
Bonuan Gueset Chairman Rico Mejia, and former Bonuan Kap Angel 
Gumarang  

“My supporters and those supporters of former barangay chairmanship candidate Alberto Gregorio will form a formidable force to support Noel in case election will go as scheduled,” Gumarang, who worked as consultant of Mayor Fernandez, cited.

Gumarang used to challenge Mejia but loss in the latter in the election before.

Bonuan Gueset, according to Wikipidia, is the most populated barangay here. It accounted for about 13.6% of the city's population. It is also one of the villages of which the famous Bonuan Boneless Bangus is found.

Gumarang said that in case the village poll will be cancelled on October 23, 2017 and President Rodrigo Duterte tasks the Department of Interior & Local Government to choose the “barangay captains” he would offer himself to serve the post.

In October last year, the president signed a law that moved the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections from October 31, 2016 to October 23, 2017.

The DILG said that President Duterte did not only want the barangay elections extended from October 23 this year but he also wanted to end the term of all barangay officials and replace them with his appointees.

The reason of Duterte postponing the polls and handpicking village officials was to avoid narcotics monies to influence the election.

“The people know that eversince I was against illegal drugs. The people know that I was an Army Reservist willing to serve the Mother Land at the behest of the people there,” said by the former village chief who was a passer of the National Police Commission’s eligibility examination.
The looming village poll could possibly push through however because until now the Senate of the Philippines has not pass a bill for the extension of the October 23, 2017 election.