Himamaylan Mayor Raymund Tongson announced that he is no longer running in tandem with incumbent Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao for the 2025 elections.
From the known “ToGa” (Tongson-Gatuslao) tandem of the mayor and vice mayor, Tongson said that the political alignment in Himamaylan has changed but his relationship with Gatuslao is “very professional”.
Tongson said that he is aligning himself with Raymundo Tongson III, barangay captain of Buenavista, who filed his certificate of candidacy for vice mayor on Himamaylan.
“We have to separate the election fever from public service. Himamaylan City should not be drowned in politics as this has hindered the city’s progress in the past,” he said.
Tongson and Gatuslao ran in tandem for two consecutive terms under the moniker of “ToGa” since 2019, however, he clarified that currently this tandem still exist because they are incumbent officials of the city.
The mayor said that he will make a formal announcement on his official councilors’ line-up next month.*