Tuason, Kho and Bravo faceoff for gubernatorial post in 2025 polls

Masbate City -Three powerful political personalities in the island province of Masbate will be vying for gubernatorial race in the upcoming May 10, 2025 elections.

Outgoing Masbate City Mayor Socrates “ Ates” Tuason, 62, a former political ally of Gov. Antonio Kho will be contesting Kho’s son incumbent First District Rep. Richard T. Kho for gubernatorial post.

Clad with green t-shirt along with his supporters, Tuason, a long-time mayor of Masbate is the standard bearer of the Liberal Party in Masbate gunning the province’s top post for the first time.

Tuason vowed to address the lack of basic services in the island province which include water, illegal fishing, hospitals, power wherein according to him neglected by the Khos stint for a long time.

Tuason was accompanied by his political supporters as he filed his certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections within the compound of the provincial capitol building.

Tuason’s wife, vice mayor Rowena who also served as Mayor of Masbate told The Manila Times that she will no longer run for public office as she will be supporting her husband’s candidacy for the province top post.

The Khos family who are all occupying the key positions in Masbate province from governor, vice governor, and three seats in the House of Representatives filed their certificate of candidacies together.

First termer Rep. Richard T. Kho, a lawyer and the youngest among the three gubernatorial contenders also filed his certificate of candidacy along with his family father outgoing governor Antonio Kho under the Lakas-CMD party. Governor Kho will be replacing his son Richard for congressional post.

Vice Governor Olga Kho also returning to the House of Representatives if elected in May 2025 polls. She filed her COC for second district; last termer third district Rep. Wilton Kho also filed his COC for the third term.

While incumbent second district Rep. Ara Kho, a lawyer filed her certificate of candidacy for mayoral post in Masbate City.

Kho’s will be vying for mayoral post in Masbate against incumbent city councilor Ruby Sanchez-Morano under the wing of gubernatorial candidate incumbent Mayor Socrates “Ates” Tuason of the Liberal Party.

Another gubernatorial candidate in Masbate who filed his certificate of candidacy is former first district lawmaker Narciso “Bong” Recio Bravo Jr.

Bravo along with his wife, Maria Vida “Marvi” Espinosa-Bravo also filed her CoC for congressional seat in the first district against governor Antonio Kho.

Bravo and his wife Marvi filed their certificate of candidacies on the first day of filing October 1.

Kho, Tuason and Bravo’s political faceoff in May 2025 local polls is considered to be intense specifically between outgoing Mayor Socrates Tuason and Rep. Richard Kho, whose alliance in nearly three decades.

It will be recalled that in 2022 elections, the entire Khos family has captured the top executive and all the legislative seats of Masbate, in the country’s rodeo capital.

Governor Antonio Kho won his reelection bid for his third and last term against his rival, Masbate’s 1st District Representative Narciso “Bong” Bravo Jr.

Kho’s wife, 2nd District Representative Elisa (Olga) Kho, also captured the vice gubernatorial seat against lawyer Jesi Howard Lanete, son of former Masbate governor Rizalina “Dayan” Lanete.

Olga is a physician by profession, she replaced her daughter Ara in the province’s second top post. The Kho’s couple capture both executive and legislative posts, which usually serve to check and balance each other.

Their children, Wilton, Richard, and Ara were also victorious in Masbate’s three congressional districts as the people’s representatives.

Their eldest son, Rep. Tonton Kho (3rd District) secured his seat after outclassing former governor Dayan Lanete (Nationalist People’s Coalition).

Vice Governor Ara Kho dumped her rival Dr. Scott Davies Lanete (NUP). Dr. Scott is also the son of the former governor Dayan Lanete. Ara took the seat of her mother’s 2nd District seat in Congress.

Richard Kho is the newest politician in the family. He served in the 1st District against former Masbate representative Marvi Bravo, (NUP) wife of former lawmaker Narciso Bravo. Tonton’s wife, Tintin Hao-Kho, is the incumbent mayor in Mandaon town, which is in the 2nd District. – BY RHAYDZ BARCIA