Syjuco loses return bid to Congress

MANILA, Philippines - The candidate endorsed by presidential sisters Kris Aquino and Ballsy Aquino-Cruz has ended the reign of Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr. as congressman of Iloilo’s second district.

The Liberal Party’s Arcadio Gorriceta, outgoing mayor of Pavia town, unseated Syjuco after garnering 56,846 votes.

Syjuco, who ran under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), placed third behind I-Care party-list Rep. Salvador Cabaluna, an independent candidate.

After failed attempts to seek an elective post in Makati City, Syjuco continued his political career in Iloilo. He went on to win as representative of the province’s second district from 1998 to 2004.

His wife, Judy Jalbuena-Syjuco, took over his post from 2004 to 2010 after he was appointed director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The Syjucos, along with several others, were accused of irregularities in the 2005 disbursement of P20 million from his wife’s pork barrel funds.

Prior to the May 13 polls, the Sandiganbayan issued a hold departure order against Syjuco in connection with the six graft charges he is facing.

Syjuco, however, dismissed the charges against him as political harassment.

Following his proclamation, Gorriceta said he would not dip his fingers into the charges filed against the Syjuco couple.

Fariñas vs Fariñas

In Laoag City, former mayor Roger Fariñas may have lost the elections, but the battle is not yet over.

He has filed graft charges with the Office of the Ombudsman against his nephew, outgoing mayor and vice mayor-elect Michael Fariñas whose wife, Chevylle, defeated Roger in the mayoral race.

Also charged were the chairman, vice chairman and members of the city’s bids and awards committee (BAC).

The case stemmed from various projects of the city government undertaken during the term of Michael Fariñas.

The other respondents were BAC chairman Ruben Domingo, BAC vice chairman Fred Agpaoa, and members Elena Asuncion, Carlina Cumigad, Cipriano Martinez III, Benedicto Castro, and BAC secretariat staff Maria Luisa Castro, Esmeralda Antonio, Emelyn Andal and Mylene Jacinto.

The mayoral race in Laoag was hotly contested as members of the Fariñas clan fought against each other.

Carlos Fariñas, son of re-elected first district Rep. Rudy Fariñas, had withdrawn from the vice mayoral race won by his cousin Michael. – With Teddy Molina