Dasmariñas City folk give Barzagas fresh mandates

MANILA, Philippines - Spouses Jenny and Elpidio Barzaga Jr., mayor and congressman, respectively, of the lone district of Dasmarinas City in Cavite, have been re-elected overwhelmingly, earning them another three years in public service.

The Barzagas, along with the 12 elected city councilors, have been proclaimed by the local canvassing board. They all belong to the National Unity Party (NUP) which has coalesced with the Liberal Party. 

Rep. Barzaga, a prosecutor in the 2012 impeachment trial of former chief justice Renato Corona, got 165,604 votes against his rival Miguelito Ilano’s 23,836 votes. 

Mrs. Barzaga, for her part, beat her two opponents, obtaining 158,217 votes. Rivals Gavion Mercado got 33,634 votes and Ma. Lourdes Garcia, 1,624 votes. 

“I view elections as the day when our people are grading their public officials. If they perform well during their incumbency, the people will definitely give them high grades by voting for them,” said Rep. Barzaga, NUP vice president.

“On the other hand, if public officials during their term should fail to perform their duties, definitely they will get failing grades and they will lose in the elections,” he added. 

According to Barzaga, the “overwhelming mandate” they received from the Dasmarineños is a “recognition of the numerous projects” they have carried out in the city in the past 15 years.

Among the elected NUP candidates to the city council were Robin Chester Cantimbuhan (127,319 votes), Reynaldo Canaynay (122,891), Resty Encabo (115,130), Jacinto Frani Jr. (107,827), Roderick Atienza Sr. (106,260), Peter Tom Antonio (100,488), Nickanor Austria Jr. (99,048), Tagumpay Tapawan (97,937), Fulgencio de la Cuesta Jr. (94,213), Napoleon Gonzales (88,504), Teofilo Campano (93,124), and Eloy Hugo (74,709).