By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao has publicly declared her intention to run for the province’s lone district representative in the 2025 midterm elections, a position currently held by her former political ally.
Cadiao, who is serving her final term as governor, made her announcement on Friday, September 6, at the Esprutingkle Convention Center in San Jose de Buenavista.
Joining her under the Partido Tumandok (PATOK) banner are Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary and former Pandan Mayor Jonathan Tan, who will run for governor, and former Caluya Mayor Genevive Lim-Reyes for vice governor.
In an interview with Daily Guardian, Cadiao explained that Tan initially sought her endorsement for governor, but she declined due to her commitment to support current Vice Governor Edgar Denosta.
However, she reconsidered after Denosta was allegedly courted by current congressman Agapito Antonio “AA” Legarda.
Lim-Reyes, who was Cadiao’s original pick for vice governor, also voiced her opposition to running with Denosta, leading to the formation of the Cadiao-Tan-Reyes slate for 2025.
Denosta and Legarda have yet to announce their political plans for the upcoming elections. Denosta is serving his last term as vice governor, while Legarda is in his first term as Antique’s congressional representative.
On September 7, Legarda and Denosta were seen together at the University of Antique during a “Maaga nga Pamaskua” concert featuring celebrities Toni and Alex Gonzaga. The two have also been spotted together at various public events in recent months.
A RUN TO END LEGARDA’S ‘DICTATORSHIP’
Cadiao shared with Daily Guardian that she originally intended to retire from politics but decided to run for Congress to oppose what she describes as Legarda’s authoritarian leadership.
“Legarda’s leadership is narcissistic and akin to a dictatorship,” she claimed.
Cadiao expressed disappointment with Legarda’s performance, saying he had failed to deliver the progress she envisioned when she supported him in 2022.
She accused Legarda of polarizing the province and using financial resources to buy political support and intimidate those who refuse to follow him.
“Instead of uniting Antique, we are constantly in conflict because he’s buying everyone with his money. Legarda’s style is, ‘you follow me’ and ‘I will dictate,’” she asserted.
Cadiao also raised concerns about the political atmosphere in the province, suggesting that officials feel pressured and unable to act independently due to Legarda’s influence.
“We want to live freely, to speak our minds, and to do what we think is right. It shouldn’t be that if you refuse money, cases are filed against you,” she stressed.
Cadiao acknowledged that if Legarda seeks reelection, the contest will be challenging, especially given his financial resources.
