Ebdane son wins Zambales special poll

IBA, Zambales, Philippines  – The provincial board of canvassers yesterday proclaimed Jun Omar Ebdane of the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka as the new representative of the second district of Zambales after beating four rivals in Saturday’s special election.

Ebdane, 37, son of Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., led by 5,922 votes over his closest rival, Liberal Party’s Cheryl Deloso Montalla, daughter of former Zambales governor Amor Deloso.

Ebdane got a total of 62,867 votes, while Deloso had 56,945. Nationalista Party’s Rica Diaz had 17,291 votes, and independent candidates Wilfredo Paul Pangan and Alfred Sebarotin Mendoza, had 3,756 and 1,512 votes, respectively.

Ebdane garnered his highest number of votes – 11,389 – in Botolan town, a bailiwick of Deloso, who only got 9,829 votes from the 22,995 registered voters in the municipality.

Ebdane, in his acceptance speech, said he would work harder than before “for the benefit of my constituents and the whole province of Zambales.”

He served as provincial administrator before he decided to run in the special election for the second district congressional post, which was left vacant following last year’s death of Rep. Antonio Diaz.

“The campaign is over, so politics is over and (we are) back to work,” Deloso said.

“By voting for change, (you have) breathed new life to our common dream of realizing the true development of Zambales and its people,” he said in his acceptance speech.

Ebdane said his priority programs would include scholarships and educational assistance, and creation of more job opportunities. – With Mayen Jaymalin, Bebot Sison Jr. and Ding Cervantes