Fuentebella was proclaimed the duly elected representative last Thursday by the provincial board of canvassers, led by chairman Romeo Fortes, vice chairman Agapito Rosales and member-secretary Lucita Año.
Fuentebella won by a margin of more than 10,000 votes over his nearest rival.
Fuentebella served briefly as Speaker in late 2000 after the impeachment of then President Joseph Estrada.
Meanwhile, in Camarines Norte, re-electionist Gov. Jesus Typoco (Lakas-CMD) won with 92,129 votes over former governor and congressman Roy Padilla who got 51,953 votes.
In the vice gubernatorial race, Edgardo Tallado (PMP-NPC) won with 87,790 votes over Alexis Prado.
In the congressional race for the lone district of Camarines Norte, incumbent Rep. Renato Unico Jr. (Lakas-CMD) is headed for his second term with 83,420 votes over former Internal Revenue Commissioner Liwayway Vinzons-Chato (NPC) who got 82,198 votes.
Before Unico’s proclamation, Chato filed a protest requesting the provincial Commission on Elections (Comelec) office to exclude the election returns from the municipality of Labo but the provincial board of canvassers rejected it.
The Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats) got 10 seats in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and nine of the 12 mayoral seats in the province, except for the towns of Daet, Jose Panganiban and Vinzons.
All the winners were proclaimed Friday morning. — Celso Amo