Reporters’ Notebook

MAGUINDANAO

Mangudadatu, others proclaimed

The provincial board of canvassers has proclaimed the winners in the gubernatorial race and the race for legislative seats in the first district.
Esmael Mangudadatu won reelection. His running mate, Lester Sinsuat, was also proclaimed winner in the race for vice governor.

Also proclaimed were Bai Sandra Sinsuat-Sema, who won reelection as first district representative, and winners in the race for seats in the provincial board.

Transmission of voting results from the towns of Ampatuan, Pagalungan and Salipada Pendatun was delayed due to violent protests. Nash B. Maulana, Inquirer Mindanao

Reelected councilor shot dead

Unidentified men on Wednesday shot and killed a reelected councilor of Shariff Aguak town, Maguindanao province. Chief Insp. Reynato Mauricio Jr., Shariff Aguak police chief, identified the victim as Councilor , a member of the Liberal Party. Police said the suspects, armed with assault rifles, fired at Malaguial’s home. As the gunmen fled, they fired M-203 grenades to prevent Malaguial’s relatives from pursuing them. Edwin O. Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao

NUEVA VIZCAYA

Vizcaya’s first woman solon

This province will have its first woman representative when the 18th Congress opens in July, after former Gov. Luisa Lloren-Cuaresma was proclaimed on Thursday as winner in the tightly-contested race for the Nueva Vizcaya’s lone congressional district.

Cuaresma, 61, a candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance, defeated outgoing Gov. Ruth Padilla of the Nacionalista Party.

Outgoing Rep. Carlos Padilla (NP) was proclaimed winner in the gubernatorial race.

No woman has held the position of Nueva Vizcaya representative until now.

Proclamation of winners in the May 9 elections here was delayed for three days after the computer that ran the canvass consolidation system (CCS) that tallied the provincial results was found to be defective. Melvin Gascon, Inquirer Northern Luzon

ISABELA

Newly elected mayor dies

The newly elected mayor of the coastal town of Palanan died on Friday, six days after he suffered a heart attack on the eve of the May 9 elections.
Angelito “Bernie” Bernardo fell into a coma at the Isabela United Doctors Medical Center, where he was taken after collapsing on Sunday.

Richie Andam, the mayor-elect’s cousin, said Bernardo’s remains would be airlifted to Palanan, a town separated from mainland Luzon by the Sierra Madre ranges and which could be reached only by airplane or boat.

The town’s board of canvassers proclaimed Bernardo the winning mayoral candidate on May 12. He would have replaced his brother, outgoing Mayor Angelo Bernardo Jr. Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon