Congressman Chiquiting Sagarbarria has announced that he will be running for Mayor of Dumaguete City in the May 2025 elections.
Sagarbarria, a former two-term mayor of Dumaguete City, confirmed to the MetroPost that he is will be seeking the City’s top executive post after social media posts said Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo announced that he is running for the gubernatorial post.
Mayor Remollo announced his plan before some Negros Oriental mayors, whom he invited for lunch after the visit of President Ferdinand Marcos last May 20, Sagarbarria said.
It can be recalled that the congressman had previously announced that he is not running for any position in 2025 and will be supporting the mayoralty bid of Mayor Remollo’s son, Dio, provided the Mayor will not run for either congress or for governor.
Without going into details, Sagarbarria said the change in plan started after the political rally of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I was directed to run,” Sagarbarria said.
He said he offered the vice mayoralty post to Atty. Dio Remollo, but Sagarbarria said the younger Remollo declined the offer, saying he will also be running for Dumaguete City mayor.
Atty. Dio Remollo has yet to respond to a request for comment from the MetroPost.
But when asked if he is indeed running for governor in 2025, Mayor Ipe Remollo told the MetroPost, “you will only know what a person is running for when he files his certificate of candidacy.”
With Dio not accepting the vice mayoralty post, Sagarbarria said he is considering Estanislao Alviola to be his running mate. (AP)
