Panlilio concedes to Pineda

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines – Priest-turned politician Eddie Panlilio (Liberal Party) yesterday conceded to incumbent Gov. Lilia Pineda in their third rematch for the gubernatorial post.

Results from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed Panlilio with 107,447 votes while Pineda got 430,083 votes.

Pineda’s son, Dennis, was also leading the vice gubernatorial race with 343,307 votes. His rival, Maria Amalia Tiglao, got 133,659 votes.

Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was leading the congressional race in the province’s second district.

Unofficial results as of press time showed Arroyo leading with 129,565 votes while her opponent, lawyer Vivian Dabu, got only 14,278.

Arroyo did not campaign for the elections as she remains under hospital arrest. Her son Mikey campaigned for her.

Dabu was the provincial administrator during Panlilio’s term as governor.

Basketball coach and incumbent Vice Gov. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao was proclaimed winner in the first district congressional race, along with re-elected Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.

Guiao and Pamintuan toppled the decades-old dynasties of the Nepomuceno and Lazatin clans.

Final election results showed Pamintuan with 67,097 votes while his rival, first district Rep. Carmelo Lazatin Sr., had 51,135.

Guiao, who is on his last term as vice governor, got 57,645 votes while his opponent, Francis Nepomuceno, garnered 53,958.

The sons of Lazatin and Nepomuceno, Carmelo Jr. and Bryan, respectively, won seats in the San Fernando City council.

For the vice mayoral race, incumbent Vicky Vega won with 38,361 votes, beating Rodelio Mamac who got 31,409.

Aside from the younger Lazatin and Nepomuceno, proclaimed councilors were Jericho Aguas, Edu Pamintuan, Arvin Suller, Danica Lacson, Maricel Morales, Max Sangil, and Amos Rivera.

Incumbent governors in the five Central Luzon provinces were leading their respective races.

Aside from Pineda, the Regional Elections Monitoring Action Center reported that incumbent governors Victor Yap (Tarlac), Wilhelmino Alvarado (Bulacan), Aurelio Umali (Nueva Ecija) and Hermogenes Ebdane (Zambales) were leading their respective races as of press time. – With Ding Cervantes