Lucena Mayor Roderick Alcala. Photo by Lucena PIO
LUCENA CITY – The reelectionist Lucena mayor, who was included in the so-called narcolist of the Duterte administration, on Wednesday said the result of the election has vindicated him after the city board of canvassers proclaimed him winner in the city’s mayoral race.
“I’ve won in all 33 barangays in the city. The Lucenahin did not believe the desperate black propaganda against me linking me to the illegal drugs trade,” Roderick Alcala said in a phone interview.
Alcala won with 89,134 votes, defeating his sole opponent Mayor Ramon Talaga Jr. who got 37,557.
“I was vindicated. The result of the election has cleared my tarnished reputation,” Alcala said. He reiterated that the accusation against him was “baseless and motivated by politics.”
Earlier, provincial and city police officials have also cleared Alcala of any link to the illegal drugs trade in this capital city of Quezon province.
Alcala has defeated Talaga in three elections in a row since 2013. Alcala ran under Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan. (Editor: Leti Boniol)