Oreta gets people’s nod in Malabon

Former police major and Engineer Canuto "Tito" Oreta (KNP) swamped acting city mayor Mark Allan Jay Yambao (Lakas-CMD) by a wide margin and was proclaimed by the city Board of Canvassers yesterday at the Malabon city hall.

Final official Comelec results showed Oreta, former city councilor, two-time Oustanding Barangay Captain (Maysilo, 1989, 1994) and nine-year president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC), leading the rest of the mayoral contenders at 50,682, some 10,000 votes over second-running Yambao’s 40,644 .

Neophyte Jeannie Sandoval, landed third at last at 36,653.

Former councilor and Oreta’s partymate Arnold Vicencio was also proclaimed vice mayor-elect.

Oreta thanked all his supporters and the people of Malabon for the trust they have given him with his election to office.

Oreta, brother-in-law of Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta, assured his constituents that his leadership will give priority to health care, improving the quality of education, infrastructure and the marginalized sector, including senior citizens, the youth, workers, women and the urban poor.

The mayor-elect also said that he will be giving Malabon a simple, loyal and transparent kind of governance.

Oreta said that in his first 100 days in office he will subject under keen security the over P500 million in the city coffers and ensure that his is really spent for the benefit of the people.

"Ang bawat sentimo sa pondo ng bayan ay ilalaan natin sa mga programa at proyekto ng direktang pakikinabangan ng taong-bayan. Sila ang may-ari ng kabang-bayan, kaya marapat lang na sila ang makinabang dito. Puputulin natin and graft and corruption," Oreta said.

Oreta also urged both his political supporters and rivals to now put politics behind and work together for the development and progress of the city.