Incumbents, dynasties still rule in polls

TACLOBAN , Philippines – Results of the newly concluded midterm elections in Eastern Visayas showed local voters still prefer the incumbents and members of known political families.

Among the incumbents who faced strong opponents but managed to win are Rep. Richard Gomez of the fourth district of Leyte and his wife, Ormoc Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez.

Gomez bested former congressman Vicente Veloso.

Torres-Gomez and her running mate, Leo Carmelo Locsin, retained their posts.

The entire slate  of Torres-Gomez’s Ormoc Development Team won the council seats.

In Tacloban, Leyte’s first district, Mayor Alfred Romualdez was reelected while his son, Ray, won as vice mayor.

Romualdez’s other son, Marty, placed fourth in the race for the city council seat.

In Biliran, although election officials have yet to release the final results, the Espina clan was expected to win based on preliminary canvassing of votes.

Figures showed former congressman Rogelio Espina was leading by a landslide in the gubernatorial race. Another member of the family, Roselyn Espina-Paras, ran unopposed as vice governor.

Duterte grandsons win

Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s grandsons – Omar and Rodrigo II – were elected representative of Davao’s second district and city councilor, respectively.

Omar will work alongside his father, first district Rep. Paolo Duterte.

Rodrigo, who secured the top seat in the city council, is expected to become vice mayor when his uncle, Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, steps up as mayor in lieu of the former president, who is detained in The Hague.

Ex-PNP chief elected governor

Retired Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Edgar Aglipay is waiting to be proclaimed as the next governor of Cagayan as election results showed him leading with a wide margin of votes over his rival.

Provincial election supervisor Michael Camangeg said they were waiting for the election results from Fuga Island in Aparri town and in the coastal village of Baguio Point, although these will not reverse the election results.

Aglipay was PNP chief during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from August 2004 to March 2005.

In Tarlac, the Yap family retained their hold in the capitol after incumbent Rep. Christian Tell Yap won the gubernatorial race.

The Yaps have been in control of the capitol continuously for 30 years since the first member of the family was elected governor in 1998.

In Pangasinan, reelectionist  Gov. Ramon Guico defeated his rival Amado Espino III.

Landslide win for Leviste

In Batangas, billionaire Leandro Leviste won in a historic landslide as representative of the first district, trouncing incumbent Cong. Eric Buhain.

Leviste garnered 268,764 votes or 75 percent of the total against Buhain’s 91,588.

His victory marked the first electoral defeat for Buhain, husband of former congresswoman Eileen Ermita-Buhain, whose family has dominated the district for 30 years.

It was the first time since 1972 that voters in the first district picked a representative who is not a member of the Ermita or Apacible clan.

Leviste, one of two sons of Sen. Loren Legarda and former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste, defeated Buhain in all eight cities and municipalities, which comprised Balayan, Calaca, Calatagan, Lemery, Lian, Nasugbu, Taal and Tuy.

Electoral upset

Meanwhile, a major electoral upset occurred in Eastern Samar when former vice governor Christopher Gonzales stopped incumbent Rep. Maria Fe Abunda from securing a third and final term as representative of the province’s lone district.

Gonzales dominated the polls with 177,413 votes over Abunda’s 106,781.

He is a son-in-law of House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, who is poised to secure his second term as representative of the 4Ps party-list. – Diana Lhyd Suelto, Jun Elias, Ric Sapnu, Ed Amoroso, Artemio Dumlao