In Monday’s polls‚ the official and partial count of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed Valera swamping his lone opponent with an overwhelming 67,281 votes over the 21,110 votes of his rival, engineer Roger Luna.
Luna is the husband of opposition Mayor Cecille Luna of Lagayan town, one of the areas declared an election "hot spot" because of the alleged presence of armed goons there.
Weeks before the May 10 polls, Valera warned of a low voter turnout in the province because armed goons allegedly maintained by certain politicians were sowing fear among villagers.
Although results from four more municipalities, including Tineg which held its elections on Tuesday, have yet to be canvassed, Luna, even if he gets all the votes in the four towns, could no longer offset Valera’s lead.
In the congressional race, Valera’s ally, re-electionist Rep. Luis Bersamin Jr., earned 76,738 votes over Carlos Aquino who only got 1,858.
Valera’s vice gubernatorial running mate Jaime Lo, who ran unopposed, got a total of 63,888 votes.
Valera’s wife, Ma. Cita, the re-electionist mayor of Bangued, the capital town, also snatched the mayoralty post from rival Dominic Valera in a rather neck-and-neck fight. Valera got 9,730 votes, while Dominic got 8,230, or a difference of 1,500 votes.
Ma Cita’s eight council bets all got elected. The vice mayoral post, however, went to opposition candidate Betsay Alzate.
With the poll results, the Valeras have virtually maintained their reign of power in this hinterland northern province which they have served for the past two decades.
In Mountain Province, another political kingpin, Victor Dominguez, snatched victory over former National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) chairman David Dao-as in the race for the lone congressional seat.
Dominguez, who had been a congressman since the Marcos administration, emerged victorious with 20,155 votes against Dao-as’ 17,726.
Incumbent Rep. Roy Pilando, who had lost to Dominguez and his wife Josephine in several bouts in the past, except in 2001 when Pilando got support from civil society and other groups, trailed behind in third place with 12,463 votes. Incumbent Vice Gov. Anthony Wooden landed fourth with 12,436 votes.
Dominguez’s win also virtually brought back the political clan’s hold on Mountain Province politics.
Dominguez’s wife, Josephine, is an adviser of President Arroyo. — With Teddy Molina