SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur, Philippines — Every vote counts. This proved true for Vanjune Napao, a candidate for municipal councilor here, who won the eighth slot by beating his closest rival, Lito Tandag, by just a single vote.
Napao garnered 12,333 votes while Tandag had 12,332.
Napao belonged to the slate Team Gugma sa Lungsod, which is headed by lawyer Grace Carmel Paredes-Bravo as mayoral bet and former town councilor Arth Ryan Palabrica for vice mayor.
Bravo and Palabrica respectively trounced reelectionists Mayor Solomon Rufila and Vice Mayor Bernardino Ursos.
In the neighboring gold-rich mining town of Rosario, former three-term mayor Jose Cuyos Sr. and his running mate, Eddie de Paz, defeated the reelectionists tandem of Mayor Jupiter Abulog and his sister Mars Abulog.
The victories of Bravo and Cuyos in both towns were a redemption from their losses in the 2019 midterm elections.
Bravo’s brother, John Paredes, lost to Rufila by a slim margin while Cuyos’ wife Juvy also lost to Abulog.
Paredes, who ran as San Francisco Municipal Council member, landed fifth place in this year’s election.
Incoming Rosario mayor Cuyos got 15, 770 votes while Abulog had 12,544 votes. Cuyos’ running mate De Paz got 14,256 votes while the mayor’s sibling had 12,343 votes.
Incoming San Francisco mayor Paredes-Bravo defeated Rufila with 23,853 votes as against the mayor’s 15, 729 votes while her running mate Palabrica got 21,879 votes against Ursos’ 14,605 votes.
The winning candidates in the two towns were formally proclaimed on Tuesday, the only opposition victories in Agusan del Sur.
On the other hand, the unopposed reelectionists at the provincial level were proclaimed on Wednesday, at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall at the provincial capitol.
The reelected provincial officials are Second District Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza, First District Rep. Alfelito Bascug, Gov. Santiago Cane Jr., Vice Gov. Samuel Tortor, and the five provincial board members each from the two districts.
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