REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: May 18, 2019
Solon beats brother-in-law to lead Iloilo City
ILOILO CITY—Rep. Jerry Treñas will return to his former post as mayor of Iloilo City after defeating his brother-in-law, incumbent Mayor Jose Espinosa III. Treñas obtained 134,143 votes while Espinosa, his closest rival, got 65,724 votes. The wives of Espinosa and Treñas are sisters who belong to the Sarabia clan. —NESTOR P. BURGOS JR.
Boy Abunda sis is new Eastern Samar rep
TACLOBAN CITY—A younger sister of TV talk show host Boy Abunda is the new representative of the lone district of Eastern Samar. Outgoing Mayor Ma. Fe Abunda of Borongan City defeated Guiuan Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales by 6,775 votes. She got 93,105 votes and Gonzales, 86,330 votes. Abunda would succeed Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, who became governor after he defeated his erstwhile ally, incumbent Gov. Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal, by more than 31,000 votes. Evardone obtained 129,655 votes while Picardal had 98,054 votes. —JOEY A. GABIETA
Tan wins as Samar governor despite graft raps
TACLOBAN CITY—Despite her conviction on graft charges, Samar Rep. Milagrosa Tan was elected governor after she defeated a former military intelligence officer. Tan got 211,764 votes while her rival, Emil Zosa, former head of the intelligence and operations division of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, had 204,118 votes. In March, Tan was convicted by the antigraft court over the procurement of emergency supplies worth P16.1 million in 2001. The case is on appeal. The governor-elect will switch positions with her daughter, Gov. Sharee Ann Tan, who won the congressional race. Her son, Reynolds Michael Tan, was elected vice governor. —JOEY A. GABIETA
Dismissed exec elected Malay mayor
ILOILO CITY—Former Mayor Ciceron Cawaling was elected mayor of Malay, Aklan, less than three weeks after he was removed from office by the Office of the Ombudsman. Cawaling garnered 16,277 votes while his nearest rival, former Mayor John Yap, got 12,620 votes. Cawaling’s running mate, Frolibar Bautista, also won against Mayor Abram Sualog and Eliberto Daguno. On April 15, the Ombudsman ordered Cawiling’s dismissal after he was found guilty of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, conduct unbecoming of a public official and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service in connection with the implementation of national laws and ordinances protecting the environment and regulating construction activities on Boracay Island. —NESTOR P. BURGOS JR.
