Pacquiao-allied BSKE candidates dominate GenSan polls

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The political grip of General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao, sister-in-law of former senator and presidential bet Manny, has proven her stronger grip on GenSan politics after her barangay-allied candidates dominated the recently concluded BSKE 2023.

Out of the 26 barangays in the city, Pacquiao allies got the 18 barangays which left eight barangays belonging to the rival local party of former GenSan city mayor Ronnel Rivera.

In a statement on Facebook, City Administrator, Atty. Franklin Gacal, mentioned that eight big barangays, namely, Labangal, Fatima, Calumpang, Mabuhay, City Heights, Apopong, Bula, and Lagao will be under the leadership of Pacquiao allies.

Moreover, smaller barangays like Bawing, Buayan, Baluan, Tinagacan, Katangawan, Ligaya, and Batomelong, Dadiangas West will also belong to the city mayor's allies. Barangay Olympog, which elected an independent candidate, is presumed to join the Pacquiao stable comes 2025.

Former party-list representative Alberto "Bobby" Pacquiao, the husband of Mayor Lorelie, almost ran uncontested in Labangal and is expected to be unopposed once the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) convene for new sets of officers.

With this development, Gacal further said that the recently concluded BSKE 223 GenSan elections will mostly become the barometer in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.

As this developed, rival local party RCRI of former GenSan city mayor Ronnel Rivera only got the smaller barangays, like Dadiangas North, South, East, San Jose, Upper Labay, and Tambler. The only big barangay that the opposition still holds is San Isidro where the majority of subdivisions thrived.

Gacal was also clear that the cooperation between the barangays and their village chiefs would be smoother and orderly due to the dominance of the Pacquiao allies in the BSKE 2023.