Cousin vs cousin in Ivisan mayoralty race

BY FELIPE CELINO ROXAS City — The mayoralty race in Ivisan, Capiz is a one-on-one fight between cousins. Felipe Neri Navarra-Yap, the two-termer incumbent mayor, is clashing with Rey Jeros Navarra-Pisueña, a civil engineer and businessman, in the May 13 mid-term polls. Yap is seeking his last term under the National Unity Party, an affiliate of the United Nationalist Alliance. Pisueña, on the other hand, is running under the Liberal Party. According to Pisueña, he ran against his cousin so that the people of Ivisan will have an “alternative.” He believes he has a big chance of winning the race because of the “overwhelming support” from people from “different walks of life.” Pisueña is the second of the five children of the late Dr. Jessie Pisueña and Rosalie “Pat” Navarra. The Yaps, known as political kingpins in Ivisan and former LP supporters, have been reigning the town for several years already. Mayor Yap’s mother, Amelia, and brother, Noel, were both former three-termer mayors of Ivisan. Yap was first elected in 2007 — he defeated Hilario Untayao, a retired policeman — after the term of Noel Yap ended. He was re-elected in 2010, again defeating his former opponent, Untayao.