Garin to Tupas, Biron: ‘There’s still time for discussion and unity’

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin expressed hope for open communication with 4th District Rep. Ferjenel Biron and 5th District Rep. Raul “Boboy” Tupas amid recent political developments ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.

In a recent interview, Garin highlighted the need for dialogue, citing a lack of communication between their camps, which she attributed to insufficient time for proper discussions.

“I believe there’s still time for us to talk everything through because communication is crucial. I was speaking with Congressman Boboy Tupas earlier, and once the filing is done, all forces should be open for communication,” Garin said.

Her remarks came after Tupas expressed concerns about being left out of the decision-making process regarding Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.’s choice of Anilao Mayor Lee Ann Debuque as his running mate for vice governor. Tupas had previously shown interest in the position.

Garin noted that her camp has not yet decided whom to support between Tupas and Debuque, as further discussions with political leaders in their party, Lakas-CMD, are necessary. She also stressed the importance of unity in preventing further political divisions and creating more opportunities for everyone involved.

“We’ve reached out to the Tupas camp and were told to wait for further discussions. We were unaware of any ongoing negotiations, and I only knew of the interest of one party. For now, we’ll remain calm and wait for the filing process to be completed,” Garin added.

Tupas, for his part, reiterated his support for Gov. Defensor, despite the governor’s decision.

Garin’s comments came after she officially filed her Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for re-election on October 5 at the Iloilo Provincial COMELEC filing center in Festive Walk Mall, Mandurriao, Iloilo City. She was accompanied by incumbent Board Member Jo Ann Germinanda, who is also seeking re-election, and her daughter, Rica Jane Garin, who is running for a provincial board member seat.

Earlier that day, Tupas confirmed his bid for vice governor by filing his COC. He was accompanied by his wife, incumbent Board Member Binky Tupas, who is running to succeed him as 5th District Representative, along with his brother, former Board Member Dr. Nielito Tupas, and Carles SB Member Carlo Ong, both of whom are running for provincial board member seats.

The Tupas family is running under the same party as Garin.

Later in the day, ex-police officer Charlie Sustento and retired police colonel Jonathan Pinuela filed their candidacies. Sustento is running for 4th District Representative, challenging incumbent Rep. Biron, while Pinuela is vying for a provincial board seat in the same district. Both are running under the Reformed-PH Party, which is associated with former Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan.

Rep. Biron and Gov. Defensor are expected to file their candidacies on October 7.

As of October 5, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Iloilo reported that 364 candidates had filed their COCs.

No candidates have filed for governor, but two have declared bids for vice governor. For the Provincial Board, five candidates have filed.

Each of Iloilo’s five legislative districts has one candidate filed for the House of Representatives, except for the 2nd District.

At the municipal level, 31 candidates have filed for mayor, 30 for vice mayor, and 289 for Sangguniang Bayan seats.

In Iloilo City, one candidate has filed for congressional representative, and two have filed for Sangguniang Panlungsod seats.

The COC filing period will run until October 8.