Lara gets another term as Cagayan governor

TUGUEGARAO, Cagayan — This northern province’s incumbent governor is headed for another four-year term.

Re-electionist Gov. Edgar Lara, of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, has posted an insurmountable lead over his closest rival, provincial barangay federation president Fausto Odi.

As of 10 a.m. yesterday, Lara obtained 224,651 votes against Odi’s 84,029, based on the official and partial tally.

Incumbent Vice Gov. Oscar Pagulayan was also leading the vice gubernatorial race with 230,423 votes against Ping Ancheta’s 16,061.

Rep. Jackie Enrile, son of come-backing former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, also comfortably led his closest rival in the province’s first congressional district with 54,630 votes against the 27,724 votes of lawyer Victor Padilla, former legal adviser of the late governor Rodolfo Aguinaldo.

In the third district, Rep. Manuel Mamba was ahead of former Tuguegarao City mayor Delfin Ting.

Mamba, who trounced the legendary Rodolfo Aguinaldo in the 2001 congressional elections, obtained 73,326 votes against Ting’s 67,647.

However, incumbent third district Rep. Celia Layus appeared headed for a defeat with 37,375 votes against former governor Florencio Vargas’ 47,587.

In Nueva Vizcaya, outgoing Gov. Rodolfo Agbayani led former police general Thompson Lantion by more than 9,000 votes in the congressional race.

The third congressional candidate was former OIC governor Ruth Padilla, wife of three-term Rep. Carlos Padilla.

Agbayani has been proclaimed along with Vice Gov. Luisa Lloren-Cuaresma and incumbent senior provincial board member Jose Gambito as the governor- and vice governor-elect, respectively.

Cuaresma got 56,008 votes, trouncing board member Leonardo Perez Jr. with 53,277 votes and human rights lawyer Ernesto Salunat with 52,106.

Gambito, on the other hand, obtained 79,328 votes against his lone rival, former three-term board member Merrianthe Zuraek’s 51,470.

Meanwhile, in Quirino, Rep. Junie Cua retained the province’s lone congressional seat as he defeated Dante Valencia.

Gov. Pedro Bacani and Vice Gov. Dakila Cua won another term. Bacani defeated businessman Jun Itchon, while Cua, the congressman’s son, ran unopposed.