Sen. Manny Pacquiao (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—Family members and allies of boxing icon Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao continued to dominate in Sarangani province, winning six of the seven mayoral races in yesterday’s elections.
The People’s Champ Movement (PCM), the local political party founded by Pacquiao, which had been winning the race since 2013, is headed for another sweep over Sarangani’s top provincial posts.
Deputy Speaker and Sarangani Rep. Rogelio Pacquiao, the senator’s younger brother, is poised for a landslide win in the gubernatorial race with 163,575 votes against rivals Mohamad Aquia of Aksyon Demokratiko and independent bet Gladden Lim, who garnered 51,445 and 7,472 votes, respectively.
The results were based on 559 of the 569, or 98.24 percent of, election returns transmitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) transparency media server as of 1:47 p.m. Tuesday, May 10.
Pacquiao’s running mate, incumbent Vice Gov. Elmer de Peralta, has pulled away with 143,698 votes against the 52,464 mustered by lone rival Eleanor Saguiguit of Aksyon.
Outgoing Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon of PCM is dominating the race for the province’s lone congressional seat with 200,678 votes, while retired police officer Willie Dangane of Partido Pederal Maharlika got only 16,606.
Pacquiao’s brother-in-law Russel Jamora is topping the provincial board race in the first district along with PCM bets Jess Bascuña, Arnold Abiquebel and Rosemarie Sayo.
Incumbent board members and PCM stalwarts Irish Arnado, Ephraim Galzote, Joseph Calanao, Jose Tranquilino Ruiz and Corazon Grapilo are headed for another win along with newcomer Gwynn Singcoy.
In the municipal level, six of the seven mayoral candidates fielded by PCM are topping the races.
They are Alexander Bryan Reganit in Maitum town, Vic Paul Salarda in Alabel, Tessa Constantino in Malungon and Zyrex Pacquiao in Maasim, Victor James Yap in Glan, and Salway Sumbo in Malapatan.
PCM’s bet in Kiamba town, the incumbent mayor Danny Martinez, is, however, trailing George Falgui of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.
Zyrex, who first won as mayor in 2019 after landing second in the municipal council race in Maasim in 2016, is a nephew of Senator Pacquiao. /ra