2 congressmen, 4 others to vie for Zamboanga City mayoralty

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The two sitting congressmen of this city, along with four other candidates, have filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) for the mayoral race in the 2025 midterm elections.

John Christian Babiera, the city’s election officer, confirmed Wednesday that the candidates include 1st District Rep. Khymer Olaso, 2nd District Rep. Jose Manuel Dalipe, former Department of Education Assistant Regional Director Pete Natividad, Orlando Negrete, Dennier Ibbah, and Layla Anni.

Olaso is currently serving his first term in Congress, while Dalipe is completing his third term. Both candidates submitted their COCs on Tuesday, accompanied by large, chanting crowds of supporters.

Olaso is running under Team Zamboanga, a coalition of national and local political groups, including the Liberal Party (LP), Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), and the Adelante Zamboanga Party (AZaP). Meanwhile, Dalipe is backed by the Lakas-CMD party.

“I originally intended to seek re-election to Congress, but my family and I made the final decision on Saturday night to run for mayor,” Olaso said in a Wednesday interview.

Olaso’s running mate is former Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco, his former teacher. His brother, Kaizer Olaso, is vying for the 1st District congressional seat, while Putik Village Chairperson Jerry Perez is running for the 2nd District.

Former Mayor Celso Lobregat, a key figure in Team Zamboanga, said the coalition chose Olaso as its standard-bearer because of his high trust ratings in two recent polls. Though Lobregat did not file his own COC, he humorously remarked that he would be willing to serve as city administrator if Olaso wins.

Dalipe, on the other hand, emphasized his vision of engaging local village officials to drive progress and development in Zamboanga City.

“Building a better Zamboanga should be a collective effort. We need every Zamboangueño to help create cleaner and safer communities,” Dalipe said.

His running mate under the Lakas-CMD banner is Councilor Vicente Guingona.

Meanwhile, incumbent Mayor John Dalipe, the younger brother of Rep. Dalipe, has filed his COC to run for 2nd District congressman. Incumbent Vice Mayor Josephine Pareja is running for the 1st District representative seat.

“One of my key goals is to push for the construction of a new airport, a project that will significantly boost the city’s economic development,” Mayor Dalipe said after filing his COC. (PNA)