90% of Lakas incumbents rule Caraga polls

BUTUAN CITY — Nearly 90 percent of Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats) incumbents who vied for four gubernatorial posts and three city and 70 municipal mayoralty seats in the Caraga region emerged victorious in the May 10 elections.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has proclaimed the following: re-electionists Governors Adolph Edward Plaza (Agusan del Sur), Vicente Pimentel Jr. (Surigao del Sur) and Robert Lyndon Barbers (Surigao del Norte), and Agusan del Norte governor-elect Erlpe John Amante, son of former Rep. Edelmiro Amante, a veteran politician and a Lakas-CMD stalwart in the region.

The three incumbent governors posted a huge margin over their challengers, while the young Amante only had a slim lead over his rival, Liberal Party’s Nilo Sloiva who, incidentally, also supported President Aquino.

In the vice gubernatorial races, the winners are Rey Quijada (Agusan del Sur), Dale Corvera (Agusan del Norte), Rodolfo Navarro (Surigao del Norte) and Librado Navarro (Surigao del Sur).

Of the seven congressional seats in the region, majority went to Lakas-CMD incumbents.

Only Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza, of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, survived the onslaught. He and his brother, Gov. Plaza, were proclaimed Thursday night.

Also elected to new terms in Congress were Reps. Glenda Ecleo (first district, Surigao del Norte), Robert Ace Barbers (second district, Surigao del Norte), Prospero Pichay Jr. (first district, Surigao del Sur) and Leovigildo Banaag (first district, Agusan del Norte).

The two newcomers are Peter Paul John Falcon (second district, Surigao del Sur) and outgoing Gov. Ma. Angelica Rossdell Amante (second district, Agusan del Norte).

Almost all re-electionist Lakas-CMD mayors in the 70 Caraga municipalities were proclaimed winners.

In the three Caraga cities, proclaimed winners were the following: Butuan City — Democrito Plaza II, mayor; Angelo Calo, vice mayor; Surigao City — Alfonso Cassura, mayor; Benjamin Navarro, vice mayor; and Tandag City — Alexander Pimentel, mayor; Rosario Nimfa Dumagan, vice mayor.

Meanwhile, for national positions, the final Comelec tally in the Caraga region showed the following results:

• President: Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 477,881 votes; Fernando Poe Jr., 266,706; Eddie Villanueva, 63,283; Sen. Panfilo Lacson, 51,129; and former Sen. Raul Roco, 19,837.

• Vice president: Sen. Noli de Castro, 564,593 votes; Sen. Loren Legarda, 236,496; Herminio Aquino, 5,545; and Rodolfo Pajo, 576.

• Senator (top 12): Robert Barbers, Mar Roxas, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Jamby Madrigal, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Pia Cayetano, John Osmeña, Richard Gordon, Rodolfo Biazon, Jinggoy Estrada and Lito Lapid.