Transgender tops Bulacan village race

HAGONOY, Bulacan, Philippines - – He may be soft in looks but 29-year-old transgender Jhane de la Cruz said his devotion to duty as newly elected chairman of Barangay Iba here is tough as nails.

De la Cruz sprang into action just hours after his overwhelming victory yesterday in a three-cornered fight for the top barangay post in his village. He helped three children who were suffering from food poisoning and provided comfort to the family and loved ones of an elderly woman who died hours after voting closed on Monday afternoon.

“My victory had not really sunk into my mind and I had to attend to the needs of my constituents,” he said, noting that people had been coming to him for assistance even before his election victory.

He said he helped rush three food poisoning victims to the Sta. Cruz Hospital in Calumpit town before dawn yesterday. The children, aged four, seven and 10 were discharged from the hospital at 5 a.m.

He helped resolve a quarrel between his supporters and the son of the defeated former barangay head before 7 a.m. yesterday.

“I think attending to those concerns is helping me now realize that I won by a landslide,” he said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Based on records obtained by The STAR, De la Cruz garnered a total of 1,175 votes, while incumbent chairman Celerino Fajardo got 715 votes. Another bet, retired police officer Pastor Gutierrez, earned 359 votes.

“I am really surprised. I didn’t know that my kabarangay trust me this much,” he said. He vowed to return the favor by serving the people and providing good leadership.