Gatlabayan wins new term; wife loses to Puno

The residents of Antipolo City have given incumbent Mayor Angelito Gatlabayan another three-year term.

Gatlabayan, who belongs to the administration’s Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats), the winning candidates in the city’s first and second congressional districts and the 14 councilors-elect were proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last Monday.

Gatlabayan clobbered Susan Garcia-Say, of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), garnering 90,223 votes against the latter’s 77,477 votes.

Say, however, is not giving up the fight easily. She has filed various election-related charges, including massive vote-buying, against Gatlabayan with the Comelec.

"Binabaliktad ng kampo niya ang mga pangyayari dito. Bahala na ang Diyos sa kanya (Her camp is distorting what actually happened here. God knows the real score)," said Gatlabayan when asked to comment on Say’s allegations.

Earlier, Senior Superintendent Leocadio Santiago, Rizal police director, told The STAR that the camps of Gatlabayan and Say are accusing each other of massive vote-buying.

Santiago had tagged Antipolo City and the towns of Jala-Jala and Baras as "hot spots" in the recent elections.

While Gatlabayan trounced his opponent, his wife, Josefina, was not as lucky. She lost to former Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronnie Puno (Lakas-CMD-LP) in the first district congressional race. She got 33,334 votes against Puno’s 39,176.

Incumbent second district Rep. Vic Sumulong was re-elected. He received a total of 40,031 votes against his rival Felix Marinas 26,974.

Those who made it to the city council are the following: first district, Serafin Alvan, Eufracio Tapales, Bernard Zapanta, Ronald Barcena, Pablo Oldan, Alexander Marquez and Mariano Bacani; second district, Lorenzo Zapanta, Corazon Buega, Ronaldo Leyva, Herman Mata, Jesus Huerta, Humberto Bautista and Nixon Aranas.