• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Businessman Jurry Nabaja declared on September 27 that he will be running against incumbent Mayor John Rey Tabujara, who according to him, belongs to the family that has ruled Cauayan town in Negros Occidental for more than two decades.
Nabaja is running under the Partido Federal ng Pilipino, also the party of Cauayan Vice Mayor Anna Liza Soriano, sister of Mayor Tabujara.
John Rey succeeded his father, Jerry Tabujar, as mayor.
Nabaja strongly denied claims being spread on social media that he is not a resident of Barangay Isio, Cauayan, stressing that he spent his elementary and secondary education in the town.
In a press briefing, Nabaja admitted that he has been pushed by Cauayanons to run for mayor since 2022, But said he was not ready yet at that time, as he was busy with business in the corporate world, stressing also that he is not a politician, nor are any members of his family engaged in politics.
During the barangay elections, Nabaja said that he was again approached by some groups in Cauayan, who tried to convince him to run for mayor in 2025.
This time, they successfully convinced him to do so, Nabaja added, noting also that Cauayan lags behind in terms of economic development, compared to his neighboring local government units.
Nabaja said he already has a complete slate, with Councilor Vicente Perez as his running mate.
Asked for his reaction, Mayor John Rey Tabujara, who confirmed his intention to run for mayor, for his third and final term, said “for every election, everybody is free to run for any position they want to.”
“That’s their choice if they want to serve Cauayanons,” he added.*
