Cesario Benedito Jr. | PHOTO: Office of Board Member Cesareo Benedito Jr.
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — Anti-mining advocates scored a win after the Benedito-Feliciano tandem was proclaimed winners in the southern Palawan town of Brooke’s Point.
Cesario Benedito Jr. snatched the mayoral seat defeating acting mayor Jaja Quiachon with only a slim margin of 516 votes, garnering 18,125 votes versus Quiachon’s 17,609.
Benedito’s running mate, Mary Jean Feliciano, who was ousted from office in July 2021 following an order by the Office of the Ombudsman that found her guilty of oppression or grave abuse of authority for stopping the operations of a mining company in her town in 2018, was also proclaimed the winner in the local polls by the municipal board of canvassers on Tuesday afternoon.
Feliciano had a landslide win against opponent Rogelio Badua, with 21,681 votes against Badua’s 14,448.
Also proclaimed as members of the municipal board were Sarah Jane Crespo-Abon, Tad Balean, Kiel Rodriguez, Nathan Lacanilao, Tan Lagrada, Bong Ferraris, Victoriano Colili, at Hayati Dugasan.
RELATED STORY
Ex-mayor of Puerto Princesa City dismantles Acosta’s re-election bid