Kin of slain politicians win in La Union races

BALAOAN, LA UNION — Immediate relatives of political leaders slain in La Union province last year won in their respective races during Monday’s midterm elections.

Reelectionist Mayor Aleli Concepcion and her brother, outgoing Board Member Carlo Castor Concepcion, who ran for vice mayor, were proclaimed winners around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, according to Gregorio Cabanban Jr., the town’s election officer.

Mayor Concepcion’s father, then Vice Mayor Al-Fred Concepcion, was killed on Nov. 14 last year, when armed men fired at his two-vehicle convoy while they were on their way to the town hall.

Mayor Concepcion and eight others were wounded during the attack.

Also winning in his bid for a seat in the town council was Rogelio Concepcion, cousin of the slain vice mayor.

Rogelio, whose wife, then Councilor Nadine Joy Concepcion, became vice mayor by succession when his cousin died, was wounded in a gun attack on May 3.

In a social media post, Mayor Concepcion thanked her town mates for the “overwhelming trust.”

“Daddy, this is also for you. It has been six months since you left us but our landslide victory proves that Balaoan loved and still loves you. Please continue to watch over us,” she said.

In neighboring Sudipen town, Mayor Wendy Buquing, who became mayor when her husband, then-Mayor Alexander Buquing, was killed in an ambush on Oct. 1 last year, was proclaimed winner at 5:40 a.m. on Tuesday, said Cristituta Popes, Sudipen election officer.

Wendy survived the gun attack after her husband shielded her from the volley of gunfire aimed at their pickup truck.

In the southern town of Agoo, reelectionist Mayor Stefanie Ann Eriguel won a landslide victory in the town’s mayoral race. She was proclaimed at 11:50 p.m. on Monday, said Gary Soriano, Agoo election officer.

Eriguel’s father, former La Union Rep. Eufranio Eriguel was killed, after he was shot as he spoke in a meeting at Barangay Capas here, on the eve of the 2018 barangay elections on May 12 last year.

As of 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Eriguel’s mother, reelectionist La Union Rep. Sandra Eriguel, was leading by more than 50,000 votes over her closest opponent in the race for the province’s second district congressional seat, as shown by unofficial returns in the PPCRV-Inquirer Transparency Server. (Editor: Leti Z. Boniol)