Three Palawan candidates are running unopposed, taking it easy as the official campaign period for local elections kicked off Friday.
Bataraza mayoral candidate Abraham Ibba and running mate Johnmain Jafaar, as well as re-electionist Coron vice mayor Asian Palanca are running unopposed.
This means that they will only need to wait for a single vote on May 9 to make their victory official.
Abraham Ibba, gunning for the mayoralty seat in southern Palawan town of Bataraza under Partidong Pagbabago ng Palawan party, who is on his second term as the municipal chief executive, had been embroiled with controversies.
Last year, in March 2021, Ibba was among the 13 local executives asked by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to explain why they were inoculated with coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines despite not being on the priority list.
Ibba previously justified his vaccination and pointed out he merely heeded to the request by the Bataraza Municipal Health Office (MHO) to be part of those who got the jab to help curb the vaccine hesitancy in their town.
In tourist town of Coron, incumbent vice mayor Asian Palanca, an independent candidate, is also running unopposed.
Palanca, running for his second term, has openly advocated for the One Palawan Movement in the March 2021 Palawan plebiscite that sought to divide the province into three smaller provinces.
