Umali brothers regain Nueva Ecija’s top posts

GOV. AURELIO UMALI

CABANATUAN CITY––Incumbents Gov. Aurelio Umali and his brother, Vice Gov. Emmanuel Anthony Umali, of Nueva Ecija were reelected after winning the local elections.

The Umali brothers, with other winning local candidates, were proclaimed on Wednesday after results from all of the province’s five cities and 27 municipalities were electronically transmitted to the Provincial Board of Canvassers.

Gov. Umali earned a new term of three years.

Also proclaimed were newly elected representatives for congressional districts that include Mika Suansing (first district), former Rep. Joseph Violago (second district), reelected Rep. Rosanna Vergara (third district), and Gapan City Mayor Emerson Pascual (fourth district).

The winning provincial board members were Rap Rap Villanueva, Eric Salazar, and Lher de Guzman (first district); Jason Abalos and Dindo Dysico (second district); EJ Joson and Jojo Matias (third district); and Tess Patiag, Sweet Cruz, and Nap Interior (fourth district).

In Jaen town, the municipal board of canvassers proclaimed the mother-and-son tandem of incumbents Mayor Sylvia Austria and Councilor Sylvester Austria as winners for mayor and vice mayor, respectively.

Talavera Mayor Nerivi Santos-Martinez and her brother, Association of Barangay Councils President Nerito Santos Jr., were proclaimed vice mayor and mayor, respectively.

Lawyer Fernando Cot-om, election supervisor and head of the provincial board of canvassers, described the conduct of the elections in the province as “successful.”

In a statement, Maj. Gen. Andrew Costelo, commander of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, said elections had been generally peaceful in Central and Northern Luzon.

“And I would like to credit the success to everyone, especially our national government agencies, for maintaining the safety and security of the people and the integrity of this year’s election,” Costelo said.

lzb