Elbert R.

Moria BSED - IV

Uy vs Jalosjos

Mayor Darel Uy re-elected, as vote counts showed a significant lead for the Dipolog City’s
current mayor and namesake of the Uy clan in Zamboanga del Norte. The official count based on 50.75%
of the election returns showed Darel Uy in the lead with 34,000 votes. His nearest rival, Rommel Jalosjos,
was on 31,000 votes, according to data released by the commission on elections. Dipolog City is a 3rd-
class component city in the Philippines. It is the provincial capital of Zamboanga del Norte in Zamboanga
Peninsula, located in Mindanao. In the 2022 elections, the city has 89,106 registered voters. Opinion
surveys in the run-up to the vote suggest Darel Uy, will win the election, despite his family’s two decade
run of Mayoral positions in the city.

For more than two decades now, the political rivalry in Zamboanga del Norte the second poorest
province in the country has always been between two big families; the Jalosjos family led by “big
brother” former congressman Romeo Jalosjos, and the Uys led by Governor Roberto Y. Uy. The rivalry
grew fiercer over the years. This election, the governor, who is on his last term, is invading the Jalosjoses’
bailiwick Dapitan, running for mayor against Romeo’s son, former congressman Seth Frederick Jalosjos.
Since 1998, Dipolog has been under the Uys as mayor: Roberto Sr. from 1998 to 2007, his wife Evelyn
from 2007 to 2016, and their son Darel Dexter from 2016. Pinpin Uy, also son of Roberto Sr. and Evelyn,
served as mayor of Polanco from 2013 to 2016.

Dapitan Leader Rosalina Jalosjos may be a sister of political boss Romeo “Nonong” Jalojos Sr.,
who served as congressional agent of the primary locale of Zamboanga del Norte since 1995, evidently
until 2004 but was dropped from the rolls after the Preeminent Court ruled with conclusion his conviction
for assault of a minor. His children Romeo Jr., Rommel and Seth Frederick are presently dynamic in
legislative issues as well. Rommel served a term as representative of Zamboanga Sibugay from 2010 to
2013. He looked for reelection in 2013 but misplaced to Wilter Palma, who is presently completing his
third term. Romeo Jr. served as second district representative of Zamboanga Sibugay from 2010 to 2013.
In his attempt for a second term, he lost to incumbent Rep. Dulce Ann K. Hofer. Romeo Sr.’s sister
Cecilia won the congressional seat in the special elections held in August 2002 because of the Supreme
Court ruling on her brother’s rape case. Cecilia again ran and won twice, in 2004 and 2007. Seth
Frederick Jalosjos followed in his aunt’s footsteps and served as congressional representative from 2010
to 2019. Romeo Jr. then took over, and is hoping to get reelected in next year’s polls.Romeo Sr.’s brother
Cesar also served three terms as representative in the third district of the province, from 2004 to 2013.

Tang-Uy, whose image handlers want to project her as the province’s “nanay”, is running for
governor against Dapitan Mayor Rosalina Jalosjos, Romeo’s sister and who is already widely known in
the province as “Nanay Nene.” In the first of the province’s three districts, it is a battle between the
juniors: Roberto “Pinpin” Uy Jr. against Zamboanga del Norte 1st District Representative Romeo Jalosjos
Jr.
 Within the 2nd District, congresswoman Glona Labadlabad is looking for her final term
unopposed. In spite of the fact that the Labadlabads are partners of the Uys, the Jalosjos family did not
field a challenger since evidently since of a “secret agreement” between the family and Chairman
Rosendo Labadlabad, according to sources. Within the 3rd District, Romeo’s brother previous
congressman Cesar Jalosjos is running against amateur Adrian Ian Amatong, the child of Agent Isagani
Amatong, an partner of the Uys. In terms of national candidates, the Jalosos family has been reliably
strong of the pair of dictator’s child Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and presidential girl Davao city Mayor Sara
Duterte. Governor Uy was among the governors who endorsed the presidential bid of Senator Bong Go,
who later backed out of the race. The Uys support Duterte for vice president but the governor has yet to
officially endorse a presidential candidate. The Uys’ two biggest allies, the Amatongs and Labadlabads,
are supporting Leni Robredo for president and Duterte for vice president.

Now, days after the election, we are seeing a mixed results between the two political clans, and
their allies. For governor, Nene Jalosjos wins as governor of Region 9 with 32,637 votes, leading only
with 424 votes over Belen Tang-Uy’s 32,213 votes. Bullet Jalosjos wins as mayor of Dapitan City with
31,659 votes amounting to 54.90% of the total over Berto Uy’s 27,136 votes which is 45.10%.