De la Cruz, Plamenco top Bulacan elections

MALOLOS, Bulacan — After a long wait due to the slow canvassing of election returns from San Jose del Monte City, re-electionist Gov. Josefina de la Cruz and Vice Gov. Au-relio Plamenco were finally proclaimed winners in the province.

The two won their third and last terms. They were proclaimed by lawyer Gregorio Larrazabal, provincial election supervisor, in simple rites at the Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center here Thursday night.

For De la Cruz, it was a sweeping victory because the Commission on Elections’ first division earlier had disqualified her rival, retired police general Romeo Maganto (KNP), over the question of residency.

Still, De la Cruz got 788,892 votes against Maganto’s 97,445.

For his part, Plamenco edged out his rival, Raymond Pagdanganan, son of former Bulacan governor and now Tourism Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan.

Plamenco garnered 494,464 votes against the young Pagdanganan’s 380,527.

All 12 winners in the provincial board came from De la Cruz’s ticket. — James Mananghaya