MANILA, Philippines - Contrary to early trends, Aga Muhlach failed to realize his dream of joining the growing ranks of actor-lawmakers.
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari, meanwhile, was a far third in the gubernatorial race in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Muhlach lost to former congressman William Felix “Wimpy†Fuentebella, whom the canvassing board in Camarines Sur declared winner shortly before midnight on Thursday as the newly elected representative of the fourth district. Fuentebella, who will succeed his father, outgoing Rep. Arnulfo Fuentebella, won by 2,205 votes.
He received a total of 82,834 votes against Muhlach’s 80,629.
The Fuentebellas have been part of the political landscape in the fourth district for decades.
The elder Fuentebella, a deputy speaker in the House of Representatives, has authored a bill segregating their district from CamSur and naming it as the new province of Nueva Camarines. The measure, approved by the House, is pending in the Senate. Wimpy is the last congressional candidate to be declared winner in the province. Hours before his proclamation, the canvassing board proclaimed the winners in the three other districts.
The tabulation of votes for the fourth district was delayed by protests from the Muhlach camp.
When canvassing was suspended on Wednesday, Rep. Fuentebella reported that his son was leading by 2,175 votes. Yesterday, he said Wimpy padded his lead by obtaining 30 more votes than what Muhlach received in one precinct contested by actor.
The actor earlier tried to stop the proclamation of winners by reportedly filing a petition with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare a failure of election in CamSur.
Rep. Fuentebella said they would certainly oppose such a petition.
“There was no such failure. The balloting on Monday in the fourth district and in the province went on smoothly. In fact, many candidates have already been proclaimed. If he really filed that petition, he in effect wants to disenfranchise not only voters in our district but in the entire province. He is questioning the victory and proclamation of other winners,†he said.
Among the congressional winners earlier proclaimed were re-electionist Representatives Rolando Andaya Jr. and Diosdado Arroyo, and Leni Robredo of the first, second and third districts, respectively. Meanwhile, Misuari lost to Mujiv Hataman of the Liberal Party who was elected governor of the ARMM. Hataman’s closest rival was Pax Mangudadatu.
Hataman, with over 200,000 votes, was proclaimed by the regional board of canvassers at 11 a.m. yesterday.
Also proclaimed by the regional board of canvassers at the halls of the Regional Legislative Assembly was lawyer Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman as regional vice governor-elect. Lucman was Hataman’s running mate.
Lucman trounced a province-mate, foreign-trained Islamic theologian Mustaqbal Manalao, in the tally of votes for regional vice governor.
Ray Sumalipao, director for ARMM of the Commission on Elections, said Hataman garnered 446,227 votes while Mangudadatu trailed far behind with only 231,741 votes. Misuari garnered only more than 20,000 votes.
Lucman, on the other hand, got 472,417 votes, ahead of Manalao’s 102,804. Hataman first got to the helm of the ARMM on Dec. 22, 2011 as an appointed caretaker of the regional government, along with Hadja Bainon Karon of the MNLF as vice governor designate.
Hataman, a known protegé of President Aquino, had served as a three-term representative of the Anak Mindanao party-list before he became officer-in-charge of the ARMM.
Hataman said he is ready to reconcile with all defeated candidates for ARMM governor, including Misuari, to hasten the restoration of political normalcy in the autonomous region. – With Cet Dematera, John Unson