Bets in 3 towns ink peace covenant

BY FELIPE CELINO ROXAS City — Candidates in three municipalities in Capiz have signed a peace covenant in separate occasions. Those in Tapaz and Panitan were the first to sign the peace pact on Sunday, January 27. Candidates in Mambusao signed the same covenant the following day. A close fight among candidates is expected in these towns come election time. In Panitan, former municipal planning officer Greg Dellota is clashing with incumbent Vice Mayor Generoso Derramas for the mayoralty post. Running for mayor of Tapaz are incumbent Mayor Rosemarie Gardose and former three-termer mayor Romualdo Exmundo. Meanwhile, in Mambusao, the fight for mayor is between contractor Leodegario “Jun” Labao Jr. and Sharon Martinez-Martelino, the daughter of the murdered Vice Mayor Abel Martinez. Labao has been accused of masterminding the killing of Vice Mayor Martinez on May 4, 2012. Dellota, Gardose and Labao are running under the National Unity Party, a party affiliated with the opposition United Nationalist Alliance. On the other hand, Derramas, Exmundo and Martinez are running under the Liberal Party. On Monday, a pre-conference was held at the Capiz Police Provincial Office in Brgy. Lanot here to discuss the plan to hold a simultaneous signing of a peace covenant for the whole province.