Marcoses get new terms in Ilocos Norte

LAOAG CITY, Philippines – Former first lady Imelda Marcos and her daughter Imee were proclaimed winners at noon yesterday as first district representative and governor, respectively, in Monday’s elections.

Mrs. Marcos, widow of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, walloped her opponents in her re-election bid as congresswoman.

Her landslide victory over her rivals, lawyer Ferdinand Ignacio and Lorenzo Madamba, was expected by political observers who noted the Marcoses’ extensive clout and influence in the northern province.

The former first lady obtained 86,673 votes while Ignacio garnered 9,753, and Madamba 1,548.

“I will congratulate her. There’s no point in sour-graping at this point. This is the essence of democracy,” Ignacio told AFP.

Imee, on the other hand, ran unopposed for her re-election. Proclaimed along with the Marcoses were the winning members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan representing the second district.

First district Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas who ran unopposed for his second term, re-elected Vice Gov. Angelo Barba, Imee’s cousin, and the first district’s provincial board members were to be proclaimed later yesterday by the provincial board of canvassers headed by lawyer Joel Ginez, Ilocos Norte election supervisor.

Meanwhile, Imee’s One-Ilocos Norte team got a major boost as her candidates for Laoag City mayor and vice mayor, the husband and wife tandem of outgoing Mayor Michael Fariñas and his wife Chevyll, won in the city’s hotly contested race.

Chevyll defeated her husband’s uncle, former Laoag mayor Roger Fariñas, for mayor, while Michael won as vice mayor.