Baricuatro ends Garcia’s reign at the capitol: Pam proclaimed new governor

CEBU, Philippines — In a resounding show of public will, Pamela Baricuatro was officially proclaimed governor of Cebu on May 13, 2025, unseating five-term incumbent Governor Gwendolyn Garcia with a commanding 1.1 million votes.

Baricuatro, running under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), secured a landslide win with 1,107,924 votes, decisively defeating Governor Garcia, who garnered 765,051 votes.

The proclamation was held at exactly 3:26 p.m. by the Cebu Provincial Board of Canvassers, after a long delay due to transmission issues from the town of Pinamungajan.

According to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Region 7 Director Atty. Francisco Pobe, the delay was caused by a flash drive malfunction that prevented results from being transmitted.

Election officials sought clearance from the Comelec central office in Manila to reformat the flash drive and reload the ballot images to ensure proper transmission.

Of the province’s 51 cities and municipalities, Baricuatro won in 29 localities while Garcia prevailed in 22.

She also achieved a clean sweep in the first congressional district and dominated vote-rich areas in southern Cebu, including Talisay, Carcar, and Naga.

Notably, despite the Garcia stronghold in Liloan being home of the influential Frasco family, Baricuatro still managed to post significant leads.

Baricuatro’s win makes her the second woman to serve as Cebu’s governor. Her rise from being relatively unknown to Cebu’s highest provincial post was buoyed by a grassroots campaign she described as “clean,” without vote-buying or political machinery.

Baricuatro, a staunch supporter of former President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte, expressed her gratitude to Cebu and unexplained happiness after winning and being the "People’s Governor.”

Her victory was celebrated with chants of “Baricuatro! Baricuatro!” and “Duterte! Duterte!” reverberating inside the Capitol’s Social Hall.

“This is unprecedented. This is unexpected considering there was no vote buying on my part. I can truly say, this is a clean campaign for me from start to finish,” she said. “The goal was to get the message across nga kinahanglan ta og kausaban og kabag-ohan. Winning was really a bonus.”

In a brief post-proclamation interview, Baricuatro cited her immediate priorities, including strengthening Cebu’s public healthcare system and scrapping the controversial proposal to relocate the Provincial Capitol to Balamban, which she opposed for being inaccessible to ordinary people.

“Kung naa man gani mag Suroy-Suroy, it should be mobile clinics, food trucks, and mobile kitchens but definitely it won’t be me. But definitely we will go around but quietly,” she said, referring to the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo tourism program.

“It’s time for healing. I am willing to do that for the province para sa mga Sugbuanon. We need to heal and I’m pretty sure there will be cases against me. You know during the campaign, how nasty it was. Pero sigi lang, I will stay humble and I will stay focused sa goal nga molambo ug mausab ang Probinsiya sa Sugbo,” she added.

She emphasized her readiness to lead with humility and unity, and said she would form a transition team from her inner circle while assessing which existing officials may remain in office.

“Tan-awon na nato kay we do not need to change something that works. So, if there are people who are doing their job very well, not necessarily to change them,” she said, adding that this also goes the same with projects of the previous administration that is also working.

Prior Baricuatro's proclamation, a brief commotion happened after Garcia's camp filed a motion to suspend Baricuatro’s proclamation, which was not met lightly by Baricuatro's supporters.

But Comelec Election Supervisor Marchel Sarno clarified that the provincial office could not act on the motion without instructions from the Comelec national office.

“Sanay naman tayo. More than 20 years na ako sa Comelec, in every election ganito talaga ang nangyayari. May natatalo, may nananalo. Ganun talaga ang election,” Sarno told reporters.

Baricuatro’s daughter, Dr. Elisse Nicole Catalan, also posted an emotional tribute on Facebook for her mother.

“To the second woman Governor of Cebu, my Mumy, I couldn’t be prouder. What a journey this has been. Who would’ve thought that the ‘who you?’ they once dismissed would go on to earn over 1.1 million votes?”

Catalan emphasized how their campaign was carried not by political alliances, but by the support of ordinary Cebuanos and faith.

“This victory isn’t yours alone, it belongs to every Sugbuanon who dared to hope, who believed we could take Sugbo back. And we did. Now the real work begins. Magtinabangay ta. Let’s build the Cebu our people deserve,” she added.

Meanwhile, outgoing Cebu Third District Representative Pablo John Garcia, Gwen's brother, congratulated Baricuatro for her win.

“We are all united in our love for Cebu and service. I hope she will use her mandate well to serve our beloved Cebu.”

Asked for his message to his sister, Pablo John said, “I do not want to preempt any statement. But now is not the time for me to talk. Now is the time for deep, deep, deep reflection and to see what message this election is giving to all of us.”

Winston Garcia, another brother of the outgoing governor, also acknowledged Baricuatro’s win and expressed his pride in his sister’s long years of public service.

“As her brother, I am proud of Gwen’s years of dedicated public service and the lasting contributions she has made to the progress of Cebu,” Winston said. “Though the outcome of this election was not what we hoped for, I know her passion for serving Cebu and its people remains as strong as ever. I look forward to seeing her continue to make a difference in new and meaningful ways.”

“The people have spoken, and you now carry with you a clear mandate to serve and fulfill your plans for our province. As a fellow Cebuano, I pray for your success and for the continued progress of our beloved Cebu," he said.

Gwendolyn Garcia’s defeat marked the end of her long political reign. First elected as governor in 2004, she served three consecutive terms until 2013, then represented Cebu’s Third District in Congress from 2013 to 2019, before returning as governor in 2019 and winning reelection in 2022. The 2025 election was her first political loss.

Aside from Baricuatro, Cebu Sixth District Board Member Glenn Soco, who was Garcia’s running mate, was proclaimed as the new vice governor. Winning candidates for Cebu’s first to seventh district board members and congressional representatives were also proclaimed. — (FREEMAN)