Aquino candidate wins in Iloilo special polls

BACOLOD CITY—The candidate of President Benigno Aquino III was proclaimed on Sunday morning as new congressman of the 5th district, replacing the late Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr.

Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol of the Liberal Party (LP) defeated his nephew, Board Member Emilio Yulo III of the Nacionalista Party in the special elections on Saturday by 13,103 votes.

Mirasol got 81,982 votes against Yulo who garnered 68,879 votes. He was proclaimed at 6:45 a.m. on Sunday at the Provincial Capitol by Provincial Election Supervisor Jessie Suarez.

Mirasol was set to take his oath before Speaker Feliciano Belmonte this afternoon before buckling down to work as congressman.

He, however, has one year to serve because the regular elections is scheduled in May 2013.

Mirasol’s bid for the 5th district congressional race had the backing of President Aquino as well as mayors of Hinigaran, Isabela, La Castellana and Moises Padilla, the local party United Negros Alliance and the Nationalist People’s Alliance both led by Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and LP Negros headed by Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Negros Occidental, 3rd District).

He was supported by Grace Ibuna, the long time partner of Arroyo who returned to La Castellana town on Saturday just to vote for Mirasol.

Yulo, on the other hand, had the support of Himamaylan Mayor Agustin Ernesto Bascon and several influential families in the fifth district, including Pulupandan Mayor Magdaleno Peña and former Board Member Enrique Montilla.

The 5th district is composed of Himamaylan City, and Hinigaran, Isabela, La Castellana and Moises Padilla towns.

Mirasol won in Binalbagan, Isabela and La Castellana. His biggest margin was in his hometown in Binalbagan with 15,155 votes.

Commission on Elections Chair Sixto Brillantes, who was in Negros to oversee the special election, said he was satisfied with the turnout and the conduct of the polls. “It was very peaceful, quite and orderly. The weather did not cooperate but we still had a very good voters turnout at 73.41 percent,” he said.