Lapid loses by huge margin in Pampanga mayoralty race

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – Incumbent Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan won over his rival Sen. Lito Lapid by a huge margin in the local mayoralty race here.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday proclaimed Pamintuan as the duly elected mayor of the city.

Pamintuan won his third and last term with a huge margin against rivals Lapid and Vicky Vega Cabigting.

Based on the Comelec mirror server, representing 99.62 percent of the election returns, Pamintuan garnered 76,272 votes against Lapid’s 45,564. Vega only got more than 12,000 votes.

“I am overwhelmed by the love and support of the people of Angeles. This is a clear manifestation of the continuing trust that the Angeleños have placed upon our administration,” Pamintuan said during his proclamation held at the Sangguniang Panlungsod session hall.

He made history again after he successfully defeated a national political figure in the person of Lapid, who completes his second and last term at the Senate this June.

The result of the elections is somewhat similar to the recent surveys commissioned by different organizations.

Pamintuan’s vice mayoral candidate Bryan Matthew Nepomuceno also won with a large margin against rivals Tony Mamac, Arvin Suller and Willie Rivera.

Pamintuan is set to continue his programs and projects for the city, including a state-of-the-art command center, public cemetery, creation of boulevard, free education at City College of Angeles, pacemaker placement at Ospital Ning Angeles, expansion of the Dialysis Center of ONA, among others. – With Ding Cervantes