‘Peewee’ proclaimed in Pasay

Pasay City re-electionist Mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad earned a second term in office after he was declared official winner of the race for the city’s top post yesterday morning.

Based on official results released by the Commission on Elections at 10:30 p.m. last Sunday, Trinidad garnered 86,136 votes against his closest rival Ricardo "Ding" Santos, who received 68,504 votes. It was the second electoral exercise where the two battled for the mayoral post.

Just like in other cities, there was no need for canvassing officials to finish counting the remaining 68 precincts since Trinidad’s lead was insurmountable.

Trinidad was elected in 2000, but he also served as mayor when he won a recall polls in 1998.

According to election officials, his services from 1998 to 2001 was not counted as a term of office because it was a special election.

Trinidad thanked his constituents for keeping him in office.

"Although I am happy to received a new mandate, it is sad that our rivals won’t concede," he said during his proclamation at 6 a.m.

Trinidad claimed several individuals threw pillboxes outside the Cuneta Astrodome, where the canvassing was held, to stop his proclamation.

He vowed to further improve the services offered by the local government in return for the fresh mandate entrusted to him by the electorate.

Trinidad’s runningmate and re-electionist Vice Mayor Antonio Calixto also won with 79,851 votes based on official results covering 95 percent of the votes cast in 1,240 precincts. His closest rival, Greg Alcera garnered 70,606 votes.

Both Trinidad and Calixto belong to the opposition party Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP-Laban) under the banner of Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP).

In the congressional race, Trinidad’s partymate Emmy Calixto failed to snatch the seat from incumbent Rep. Consueto Dy, who won 84,319 to 63,986 votes.

Election officials led by lawyer Jonalyn Sabellano said the canvassing of votes race for councilors were not yet available.