IBA, Zambales — Former Zambales governor Jun Ebdane and incumbent Mayor Jay Khonghun of Subic town have joined forces for the May 2019 election, forming a formidable north-south combo under the PDP-Laban banner to wrest control of the Zambales capitol.
Ebdane, a former police general who served variously as Defense Secretary and Public Works Secretary, has handpicked the 41-year old mayor as running mate to inject a young but experienced contender into a field traditionally dominated by ageing politicians.
Khonghun filed his certificate of candidacy with the Commission on Election here on Tuesday, Oct. 16. He was formally endorsed by Iba mayor Jun Rundstedt Ebdane, both as president of the Sulong Zambales Party (SZP) and as representative of the elder Ebdane, who filed his candidacy on Oct. 11, the first day of filing.
Subic Mayor Jay Khonghun files his certificate of candidacy for Zambales Vice Governor. With Khonghun is his fiancée, movie actress Aiko Melendez.
Ebdane and Khonghun are both running under the administration PDP-Laban banner, but their slate will also be carrying the flag of Sulong Zambales, a local party founded by the former governor in 2013. The older Ebdane is now president of the PDP-Laban provincial council.
The Ebdane-Khonghun tandem is expected to raise the bar in local politics, which is now ruled by the Deloso-Magsaysay alliance, yet another marriage of political bigwigs in the province.
“I owe it to the people of Zambales to run again,” said Ebdane in response to a query on his comeback bid.
Khonghun, on the other hand, said he wants to replicate on a bigger scale what he has done for Subic town.
“This will be an action team,” Khonghun vowed. “With Gov. Ebdane and I, there will be less talk but more accomplishment. That, we can promise to deliver to Zambaleños.”
The Ebdane-Khonghun team will be going against incumbents Gov. Amor Deloso and Vice-Gov. Angel Magsaysay.
The 69-year old Ebdane has won twice over Deloso, now 79, both by landslide votes in 2010 and in 2013 before bowing out to his rival in 2016. On the other hand, it will be the first political battle between Khonghun and Magsaysay, who was elected in 2016.
Deloso, who was the 9th, 11th and 14th governor of the province after the Japanese occupation, is the father of Zambales 2nd District Rep. Cheryl Deloso-Montalla, while Angel is a daughter of former governor Vicente Magsaysay.
Another candidate, Melchisedech Manikan, has filed his COC for governor to make it a tri-cornered fight. However, observers speculate that Manikan’s filing may just be reservation for some dark-horse candidate who may enter the fray via substitution.
The Ebdane-Khonghun team is supported by a full ticket. It will be augmented on the congressional level by incumbent First District Rep. Jeffrey Khonghun, a Nacionalista Party bet whom the local team adopted, and Atty. Wilfredo Pangan, a former Zambales board member running for the Second District slot.
The party also fielded candidates for the provincial council: Johnjohn Felarca of Subic, Ike Delgado of Castillejos, and BM Jose Gutierrez Jr. of San Marcelino for the First District; Mayor Carolyn Fariñas of San Felipe, Atty. Reynaldo Tarongoy of Botolan, Reinhard Jeresano of Iba, Atty. Sancho Abasta III of Palauig, BMs Rolex Estella of Masinloc and Renato Collado of Candelaria, and Dr. Miguel Maniago Jr. of Santa Cruz for the Second District.