Five contenders, including a woman, will compete in the mayoralty race in Imus, Cavite, the local Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.

Imus, a first-class municipality, is the capital of Cavite. It is the third most populated town in the province after Dasmariñas City and Bacoor.

Joan Romela Erni, Imus-Comelec officer, said there are 152,186 registered voters in the town as of last November. Imus has 98 barangays (villages) and a population of 253,158, according to the latest census report.

Erni said that competing for the top local executive position are incumbent Mayor Emmanuel L. Maliksi of Liberal Party (LP), former mayor Homer T. Saquilayan of Nacionalista Party, Anthony A. Astillero of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), Reynaldo M. Cuevas of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) and Lydia P. Dominguez of Alpha Omega 9K (AO 9K).

It will be the second time that Saquilayan would compete against Maliksi in the upcoming elections. Town folk are expecting a good fight between the two protagonists. Both Maliksi and Saquilayan are relatives. Saquilayan would attempt to get back the throne that he lost to Maliksi in the 2007 elections.

Maliksi is in his second term as mayor. Saquilayan, an uncle of Maliksi, was elected mayor of the town for two consecutive terms, starting in 2001.

Erni said that those running for the vice mayoral race are Armando I. Ilano of LP, Ram R. Revilla of Lakas-Kampi-CMD and Carmen J. Giron of AO 9K. Ilano, Revilla and Giron are running mates of Maliksi, Saquilayan and Dominguez, respectively.

Comelec records show that there are 35 contenders for the town's eight council seats. Running for the Imus district congressional race are Governor Ayong S. Maliksi of LP, Lawyer Albert Villaseca of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Nelia Servida of AO 9K and Eric Cerojano of KBL.

The 71-year-old Maliksi, who is on his last term as governor, was elected first as vice mayor of Imus (from 1980 to 1986), then mayor (1988-1998) and congressman (1998-2001). The governor, whose middle name is Saquilayan, is the father of incumbent Mayor Maliksi.

A Comelec list showed that there are eight candidates vying for the two provincial board member seats in the district.

Imus became a lone district and so with neighboring Bacoor and Dasmariñas City after Malacañang and Congress approved the redistricting of the province from three to seven last November.