Cabugao, Ilocos Sur - Postwar Political History

Postwar Political History

The first election in Cabugao after World War II was held on the second Tuesday of November, 1947. Pitted against each other for the mayoralty race were Severo corpus of the Nacionalista Party and Jesus Serna of the Liberal party. Severo Corpuz won but his running mate, Agustin Castillo, lost to Jose Azcueta. Jesus Serna’s vice-mayoralty candidate. Elected councilors were Crescencio S. Azcueta, Aniceto Savella, Justo Savella, Angel Sonico 2nd, Pedro Suero and Patricio Braceros. In those days, Cabugao was entitled to only 6 councilors. They all would be serving a term of 4 years.

In the November 1951 election, Cabugao witnessed q 3-cornered fight for mayor. The candidates were Simeon A. Soller who was the official LP candidate, Jose Azcueta who ran as an Independent, and Lucio Zabala who is the official NP candidate. Simeon Soller bested his rivals while Aniceto Savella topped the vice-moyoralty race. For the first time, Cabugao elected 8 councilors. They were Angel Sonico 2nd, E. Pacifico Sison, Fermin Castillo, Jovencio Somera, Jose Simbe, Santos Sabio, Mariano Rocero and Juan Sonido.

A return bout between Mayor Soller and Lucio Zabala came in the November, 1955 election. Jose Azcueta, the second placer in the 1951election had joined forces with the mayor and they were many who predicted that Mayor Soller would be reelected. They were wrong. Lucio Zabala won, together with his running mate, Santos Sabio. The winning councilors were Miguel Parana, Angel Sonico 2nd, Pedro Sistoza, Constante Sabio, Maria Segui, Felipe Tisbe, Lucio Sajor and Agrifino Cobangbang.

In July, 1959, mayor Zabala and his wife, Petra Serna Zabala, were murdered while taking supper in their house at Barangay Bonifacio. They had just taken their places at the places at the dining table when two masked gunmen wearing raincoats entered and fired at them with automatic weapons at point-blank range. Vice-Mayor Santos Sabio assumed the mayorship and served the remainder of the dead mayor’s term.

The November 1959 election was coming up. In August of that year, a convention was held at the residence of Ex-Mayor Simeon Soller to pick the candidates of the liberal party. Victorino A. Savellano, a young and brilliant lawyer, won the nomination and became the party’s official candidate for mayor. Picked as his running mate was Angel Sonico 2nd, a grizzled veteran of local politics who has been a member of the municipal council since pre-war days.

On the Nacionalista side, Salustiano Savella, Vic Savellano’s 2nd degree cousin, was named the party’s official candidate for mayor. His running mate was Wilfredo Zabala, eldest child of the slain mayor.

From the beginning, it was an uphill fight for the Liberals. The Nacionalistas were in power, and all the forces, money and facilities of the national administration were brought to bear against them. But the Liberals had a superb organization and they carried the fight to the remote barrios, going house to house and holding rallies in places where many of them have never been before. Their efforts paid off. Vic Savellano won by a margin of 100 votes over Salustiano Savella. But his running mate, Angel Sonico 2nd, lost to Wilfredo Zabala, receiving 2,620 votes against the latter’s 2,625. Four candidates for councilor in Vic Savellano’s line-up also won. They were E. Pacifico Sison, Frank Giner, Francisco G, Soller and Aniceto Savella. The winners in Salustiano Savella’s line-up were Hilario Gazmen. Teofilo Serrano, Mariano Rocero and Rodolfo Sonido. The newly elected officials were inauguration on January 1, 1960.

Mayor Savellano ran for re-election as official LP candidate in November 1963, with angel Sonico as his running mate. Pitted against them were the officials NP candidates for mayor and vice-mayor – lawyer Higinio F. Soller and Pacifico P. Apostol, a doctor of medicine. Victorino Savellano was re-elected, receiving 3.755 votes against Higinio Soller’s 2,257. Angel Sonico lost to Pacifico Apostol, garnering 2,139 votes against the latter’s 2,813. In the race for councilors, the score was 6 to 2 favor of the LPs. The winners were Alberto Soller (LP), Tomas Vallejo (LP), Rodolfo Sonico (NP), Basilio Morales (LP), Aniceto Savella (LP), Cesario Garcia (LP) Juan Apparri (LP) and Hilario Gazmen (NP).

The defection of Senate President Ferdinand Marcos to the Nacionalista Party as a result of his feud with President Diosdado Macapagal prompted changes in the local politician scene. His loyal followers also became NPs and the original NPs became LPs.

Mayor Savellano ran for a 3rd term in the November 1967 election this time as official candidate of the Nacionalista Party, with Alberto Soller as his running mate. The LPs put up Vice-Mayor Pacifico Apostol as their official candidate for mayor, with Aniceto Savella as running mate. Mayor Savellano and Alberto Soller won. Elected councilors were Fermin Sumagit, Gregorio Pula, Tomas Vallejo, Rodolfo Sonido, Teolifo Serrano, Basilio Morales, Cesario Garcia and Victoriano Castillo. They were formally inaugurated on January 1, 1968.

Later that same year, mayor Savellano was appointed judge of the Court of First Instance of Sanchez Mira, Cagayan. By operation of law, Vice-Mayor Alberto Soller assumed the mayorship and served the remaining portion of his predecessor’s 4-year term that would expire on December 31, 1971. No. 1 councilor Fermin Sumagit assumed the vice-mayorship. All the other councilors went up the ladder leaving the No. 8 position vacant. Appointed to fill the vacant position was Mrs. Virginia B. Savellano.

The November 1971 election saw Pacifico Apostol of the Liberal Party and Simeon Soller of the Nacionalista Party fighting for the mayorship of Cabugao. Apostol won, garnering 3,184 votes against Simeon Soller’s 2,869. Apostol’s running mate, lawyer Ernesto S. Somera, also bested Simeon Soller’s running mate, Felix Savellano, receiving 4,092 votes against the latter’s 1,844. But of Apostol’s 8 candidates for councilor, only two made it – Aniceto Savella and Victoriano Ramos. On Atty. Sollers’s side, the winners were Cesar Soller, Gregorio Pula, Filemon Sison, Froilan Rosario and Cesario Garcia. Also in the winners' circle was independent candidate Maximina Sonico.

The newly elected municipal officials were sworn into office on January 1, 1972. The inaugural program took place at the town auditorium. Outgoing Mayor Alberto Soller was absent. It was Vice-Mayor Fermin Sumagit who performed the symbolic rite of turning over the municipal administration to incoming Mayor Pacifico Apostol. The “pabunar” was separate. The LPs had theirs at the residence of Mayor Apostol. That of the NP's took place at the residence of Atty. Simeon Soller.

The first year of the Apostol administration was marred by a violent incident that happened during the town fiesta. On coronation night, April 24, 1972, criminal elements lobbed two fragmentation grenades into the crowded auditorium killing and injuring hundreds of innocent people. In September of that same year, President Marcos declared martial law.

This unexpected move by the president had a sobering effect on the nation. For once, tumultuous rallies investigated by political troublemakers stopped. Criminal elements began to lie low more so when a notorious drug lord was executed by firing squad in Camp Crame. In Cabugao and other towns, illegal possessors hastily surrendered their firearms to the authorities when the call was made for them to do so. The political goons ceased in their nefarious activities. The improved peace and order situation that came prompted the people to welcome martial law.

On February 27, 1975, a national referendum was held for the people to answer the following question: On Local Officials, at the expiration of the terms of office of your local elective officials on December 31, 1975, how do you want their successors chosen? To be appointed by the President or elected in accordance with the Election Code? A big majority opted for appointment by the President. On Martial Law – 1. Do you approve of the manner President Marcos has been exercising his powers under Martial Law and the Constitution? 2. Do you want the President to continue exercising the same power? To both questions, the majority answered in the affirmative. There was no election in 1975. Local officials continued serving by executive fiat.

The first election after the proclamation of martial law was held on January 30. 1980 with Mayor Apostol running for re-election under the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) banner. His line-up included Dr. Crescencio S. Azcueta Sr. for vice-mayor and the following for councilor: Felix Braceros, Cesario Garcia, Carlito S. Pano, Gregorio Pula, Benjamin Santella Jr., Jose Sesuca, Leandro Serrano and Nemesio Sonido. His rivals for the mayorship were Atty. Simeon Soller and Helen Soller Lazo, both running under the NP banner. Atty. Soller’s running mate was Jeremy Seguban and there were 5 candidates for councilor in their line-up, namely, Andrea Soller-Tan, Fermin Castillo, Crisanto Soller, Jesus Sonido and Jovencio Somera. Helen Soller Lazo adopted Dr. Azcueta as her vice-mayoralty candidate and had only 4 candidates for councilor. They were Harry Segui, Romulo Castro, Modesto Vallejo and Teofilo Sunio. Mayor Apostol and his teammates won, with Benjamin Santella Jr. coming out as No. 1 councilor. They were included into office on March 3, 1980. Under the new law, they would be holding office for 6 years.

On November 25, 1980, Mayor Pacifico Apostol left for the United States with Dr. Francisco G. Soller to seek the support of the stateside Cabugaenians in the construction of the Cabugao Cultural Center. On January 3, 1981, while in San Jose, California, he succumbed to heart attack. He was only 53. His remains were brought back to Cabugao for interment. By operation of law, Vice-Mayor Azcueta assumed the mayorship.

The toppling of President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 as a result of the first EDSA Revolution and the subsequent installation of Corazon Aquino as his replacement had nationwide repercussions. Not long after she assumed the presidency, Aquino started appointing Officers-in-Charge (OIC's) to replace incumbent governors and mayor who were not to her liking. Andrea Soller-Tan was designated OIC of Cabugao and in October of that same year, she replaced Mayor Crescencio S. Azcueta.

The first local election after the EDSA Revolution was held on January 18, 1988. The protagonists for the mayorship of Cabugao were Andrea Soller Tan and Francisco A. Savellano. There were three candidates for vice-mayor: Benedicto S. Azcueta, Benjamin B. Santella Jr. and Crescencio S. Sumagit. Andrea Soller-Tan bested Francisco Savellano, garnering 5,843 votes against the latter’s 5,684. Benjamin B. Santella, Jr. won the vice-mayorship, obtaining 5,414 votes against Banny Azcueta’s 3,608 and Crescencio Sumagit’s 2,224. The 8 duly elected councilors, according to rank, were Danilo Gazmen, Rodolfo S. Alambat Jr., Nora C. Lopez, Harry Segui, Simeon Serrano, Genara Baclig, Gregorio Pula and Leandro Serrano. Under the law then existing, they would be serving a term of 4 years.

The May 11, 1992 election saw a return bout between Andrea Soller-Tan and Francisco Savellano. Their respective running mates were Danilo Gazmen and Carlito S. Pano. Amado Naval ran as an independent candidate for vice-mayor. Andrea Soller-Tan and Danilo Gazmen won. The winning councilors or members of the Sangguniang Bayan were: Crescencio S. Azcueta Jr., Ferdinand Julio R. Trinidad, Rodolfo S. Alambat Jr., Ricardo S. Somera, Bienvenido S. Santella, Edmund S. Sonico, Carlos V. Sison and Genera C. Baclig. They assumed office on June 30, 1992. Their terms would end on June 30, 1995.

Andrea Soller-Tan ran for a third term in the May 8, 1995 election with Danny Gazmen again as her running mate. Danny was the only candidate for vice-mayor and this election, her opponent was again Francisco Savellano who had no running mate. Dely and Danny won, together with the following candidates for the Municipal Council or Sangguniang Bayan : Ferdinand Julio R. Trinidad, Crescencio S. Azcueta Jr., Bienvenido S. Santella, Ricardo S. Somera, Rodolfo S. Alambat Jr., Edmund Sonico, Carlos Sison and Genara Baclig. They assumed office on June 30, 1995. Their terms ended on June 30, 1998.

Came the May 11, 1998 election. Andrea Soller-Tan having already served 3 successive terms, could no longer run for re-election. This time, the town witnessed a 4-cornered fight for the mayorship. The candidates were Bendell Soller-Tan (son of the then outgoing mayor), Benjamin "Dito" B. Santella Jr., Francisco Savellano and Pedro S. Tan. There were only two candidates for vice-mayor. They were Danilo Gazmen who was teamed with Bendell, and Rex Augustus S. Morales who was Dito Santella’s running mate. Bendell and Danny came out winners. The winning candidates for the Sangguniang Bayan were Helen S. Lazo, Ferdinand Julio Trinidad, Luciamar S. Pano. Josefina S. Vallejo, Bienvenido Santella, Maria Jara Serrano, Ricardo Somera and Carlos Sison. They assumed office on June 30, 1998. Their terms would expire on June 30, 2001.

The May 14, 2001 election saw Helen Soller Lazo, Andrea Soller-Tan and Diocaesar S. Suero contesting the mayorship. Their respective running mates were Ferdinand Julio Trinidad, Francisco Savellano and Rex Augustus S. Morales. Diocaesar S. Suero and Rex Augustus Morales bested their rivals. The following won as members of the Sangguniang Bayan: Danilo Gazmen, Josefina Vallejo, Dodjie Santella, Jessie Pat Serna, Rodrigo Sandi, Thaddeus Soller, Noel Sivila and Luciamar S. Pano. They took their oaths on June 30, 2001. They held office until June 30, 2004.