Maguindanao iniwan ng Namfrel

TARLAC CITY – Efforts of the Cojuangco family to stage a political comeback came to an end after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed incumbent Victor Yap as the winner in the gubernatorial race.

The patriarch also emerged the big winner in the congressional race as Jose “Aping” Yap was proclaimed representative of the province’s second district.

Yap won the gubernatorial race with 209,913 votes against the 189,503 votes of former congressman and Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco.

Cojuangco, brother of former President Corazon Aquino, however, contested some of the results coming from the towns of Concepcion and Bamban where Yap had won by 4,266 and 2,388 votes, respectively.

“The disputed municipalities will not affect the final outcome of the race because of the lead garnered by Yap,” a lawyer of Yap said.

The incumbent governor gained an overall lead of 20,410 over Cojuangco.

The Garcia family, on the other hand, continued to dominate the political scene in Bataan.

Partial official results showed incumbent Enrique Garcia leading by as much as 29,300 votes against his main opponent, former governor Leonardo Roman in the gubernatorial race.

Garcia’s two sons, re-electionist Rep. Albert Garcia and Joet won their respective political bids.

Rep. Garcia won over Maria Aurora Gonzales, the eldest daughter of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales in the second congressional district. Garcia won by a margin of 10,091 votes against Gonzales.

Joet Garcia, for his part, managed to unseat the incumbent Balanga City Mayor Melanio Banzon by 7,890 votes.

In Nueva Ecija, re-electionist Rep. Rodolfo Antonino was proclaimed winner in the province’s fourth congressional district, surviving the stiff challenge posed by neophyte Gay Padiernos and former congresswoman Julita Lorenzo-Villareal.

Antonino won a fresh mandate just like his niece, South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio who virtually knocked down the political bid of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.

Antonino was the central figure in the outbreak of violence in Jaen town that left four people dead and 17 others wounded last month. The incident prompted the Comelec to declare Nueva Ecija under its control.

Antonino was among those implicated in the killing of his political rivals, including former Jaen mayor Antonio Esquivel.

Down south, the same families continue to dominate politics in the

region.

Except for the entry of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter Sara as

vice mayor of Davao City, well known political figures succeeded in

their re-election bids.

Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles was re-elected as representative

of the city’s first congressional district. Rep. Vincent Garcia also got re-elected.

Re-electionist Rep. Arnel Olano won over former transportation secretary Pantaleon Alvarez as Davao del Norte’s first district congressman.

Anton Lagdameo, husband of actress Dawn Zulueta and a scion of the powerful Floirendo clan, was virtually assured of a congressional seat after his uncle, Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. did not seek re-election with no serious opponent emerging during the filing of the certificates of candidacy last March 29.

In Compostela Valley, provincial board member and mining businessman Arthur Uy was proclaimed governor after he defeated another board member, Kris Caballero. Incumbent Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya kept his post as he was re-elected in the May 14 polls.

Compostela Valley first district Rep. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora was also re-elected. 

In Davao del Sur, administration stalwart Rep. Douglas Cagas won as governor against Rep. Claude Bautista.

Cagas’ son Marc also took over his father’s vacated post as first district congressman of the province while Bautista’s brother Franklin won as second district representative of Davao del Sur. - With Raffy Viray, Manny Galvez, Edith Regalado