MANILA, Philippines—Local elections in the Philippines are like boxing matches—there will always be return bouts. And this year, Newsbreak has listed at least 28 such rivalries.

A study of the Commission on Elections’ lists of congressional and local candidates reveal that old rivals will be facing each other again in at least 14 congressional, 8 gubernatorial, 2 vice gubernatorial, and 4 mayoralty races. (See “Return Matches in the 2010 Elections.)

We take a look at some of the more interesting re-matches this May elections.

Batangas
In this vote-rich province, re-electionist Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto will again face former governor Armand Sanchez whom she defeated in 2007.

In 2007, Santos-Recto won the 4-way race with 475,740 votes. Sanchez got 349,969 votes, while the third candidate, former general Nestor Sanares, received 34,606 votes. A fourth candidate, Marcos Mandanas garnered 4,797 votes.

Batangas was considered a “free zone” in 2007 because the 2 parties chaired by President Arroyo fielded candidates for governor. Back then, Recto ran under Lakas-CMD while Sanchez ran under the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), the party founded by the president. Lakas and Kampi had since then merged.

Recto, a former 3-term mayor of Lipa City, is now running under the Liberal Party after she and her husband, former senator and socio-economic planning secretary Ralph Recto, bolted Lakas. Sanchez, who served as governor from 2004 to 2007 and as mayor of Sto. Tomas town 9 years before that, is now with the Nacionalista Party.

The vice gubernatorial race in this province is also a return match between incumbent Marc Leviste and Edwin Ermita, the son of former executive secretary Eduardo Ermita who lost in 2007.

Ilocos Sur
After losing in the 2007 senatorial race, former Ilocos Sur governor Luis “Chavit” Singson is trying to reclaim his old post. He will again be facing former-ally-turned-political-rival Efren “Rambo” Rafanan.

Singson, who is also the deputy national security adviser, first defeated Rafanan in 2004, when he staged a comeback as governor after taking a 3-year break.

In 2004, Rafanan accused the governor of staging an ambush against him; Singson denied the accusation. The ambush killed Rafanan’s wife, son, brother, and bodyguard.

Rafanan was a former employee of Singson’s radio station. In 1992, he was included in Singson’s slate for the provincial board and won. They had a falling out in 2001 when Singson chose to endorse then vice governor Deogracias Savellano over Rafanan for the governorship. Savellano defeated Rafanan in 2001 and in 2007.

Palawan
The races for the first congressional district of this province and for the mayoralty race in Puerto Princesa are Take 2s.

In the first district, incumbent Rep. Antonio Alvarez is seeking a third term against former congressman Vicente Sandoval. Alvarez, the brother of gubernatorial candidate Jose Pepito, defeated Sandoval in 2007. In 2004, he also won against Fidela, the wife of Sandoval.

In Puerto Princesa City, re-electionist Edward Hagedorn will be facing retired general Eduardo Matillano for a second time. Hagedorn defeated Matillano, former director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, in 2007 by a lead of 24,316 votes.

Hagedorn was recently allowed by the Commission on Elections to run after his candidacy was questioned before the poll body. Petitioners argued that Hagedorn cannot run since he had served 3 consecutive terms but the poll body said that his victory in the 2002 election was not considered as first term.

Aside from Matillano, Hagedorn will also be facing vice governor David Ponce de Leon in the mayoralty race.

Cities of Angeles and Pasay
In Angeles City, 2 of the candidates in a 3-way mayoralty race first faced each other 12 years ago. Lakas’s Edgardo Pamintuan and Nationalist People’s Coalition’s Francis Nepomuceno first slugged it out for the congressional seat of Pampanga’s first district in 1998.

Pamintuan at the time had served as as Angeles City mayor from 1992 to 1998. Nepomuceno was his vice mayor from 1995 to 1998. Pamintuan lost to Nepomuceno.

Nepomuceno went on to serve as congressman for 3 terms. Pamintuan, meanwhile, became chair of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council and president of Northrail Corp.

In Pasay City, re-electionist Rep. Jose Antonio Roxas will again face former mayor Allan Panaligan in the contest for the lone congressional seat. The two first clashed in 2007, when Roxas defeated Panaligan by 1,768 votes.

La Union and Sulu
In La Union, 2 members of the Dumpit clan will be facing old rivals in their respective races.

Former second district congressman Tomas Dumpit Sr. will challenge incumbent Manuel Ortega, who is running under the Nationalist People’s Coalition, for the gubernatorial post. Dumpit lost to Ortega in 2007.

Thomas Dumpit Jr., for his part, will again face former Agoo mayor Eufranio Eriguel in the congressional race. Thomas Jr., a first-term representative, defeated Eriguel in the 2007..

In Sulu, incumbent Abdusakur Tan will once again be facing former Moro National Liberation Front chair Nur Misuari in the 7-way gubernatorial race.

Tan is running under Lakas-Kampi-CMD, while Misuari is with the Bangon Pilipinas. Tan defeated Misuari, a former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and former governor Benjamin Loong in 2007.

Other return bouts are:

• Kalinga – Rep. Manuel Agyao, a former assistant public works and highways, will face again James Bejarin for the province’s lone congressional seat. Bejarin, son-in-law of former congressman Laurence Wacnang, was defeated by Agyao in 2007.
• Quirino – Outgoing Gov. Dakila Carlo Cua will be running to replace his father, Junie Cua, who is on his last term as the province’s only congressman. The younger Cua will be facing the man he defeated in the 2007 gubernatorial race, former provincial board member Eleazar Balderas.
• Pangasinan – Rep. Rachel Arenas, will be facing her 2007 opponent, lawyer Gallant Soriano, as she seeks re-election as representative of the third district.
• Bataan – The congressional race in Bataan’s second district, Maria Aurora Gonzales—daughter of defense secretary Norberto Gonzales will run again against re-electionist Rep. Albert Garcia. Garcia first defeated the younger Gonzales in 2007.
• Laguna – In the third district, Rep. Maria Evita Arago will once again face Florante Aquino. In 2007, Arago defeated Aquino of Lakas, Adoracion Alava of Kampi, and Arcadio Gapangada of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
• Quezon – David Suarez, former vice governor and son of Rep. Danilo Suarez, will challenge incumbent Rafael Nantes for governor. The younger Suarez, who ran under Kampi, lost to Nantes in 2007.
• Oriental Mindoro – First district Rep. Rodolfo Valencia will be facing again Renato Leviste in the 5-way congressional race. Leviste was defeated in 2007.
• Catanduanes – Vice Gov. Alfred Aquino will face off with his predecessor Vincent Villaluna in the 3-cornered vice gubernatorial race.
• Cebu –Rep. Eduardo Gullas, who is running under the Nacionalista Party, will once again face independent Felipe Concepcion for the congressional race in the 1st district of Cebu.
• Compostela Valley – 2nd district Rep. Rommel Amatong and former governor Jose Caballero will be facing each other again. Amatong defeated Caballero in 2007 by a lead of about 34,000 votes.
• Davao del Sur – Gov. Douglas Cagas and former representative Claude Bautista are among the contenders for the governorship. Last election, Bautista lost to Cagas by around 7,000 votes.
• Maguindanao – Rep. Didagen Dilangalen will again slug it out with Bai Sandra Sema for the congressional race of Maguindanao’s 1st district. In 2007, they faced each other for the lone congressional district seat of the now-defunct province of Shariff Kabunsuan. (Newsbreak)