Paggamit sa Diosnong mga gasa

Eight days after the midterm polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed yesterday incumbent Mayor Enrico Echiverri the winner in Caloocan City’s mayoral race.

Re-electionist Vice Mayor Tito Varela won by a landslide, garnering 143,634 votes compared to the 66,384 votes earned by his closest rival, Henry Camayo.

Echiverri was proclaimed by the members of the Comelec’s Board of Canvassers led by lawyer Juliet Villar, City School Superintendent Elizabeth Manalo, and City Prosecutor Ramon Rodrigo at the city hall’s Bulwagang Katipunan at around 8:25 a.m.

Echiverri had earlier complained about the slow pace of the canvassing of votes in the city.

Available Comelec data as of 6:20 a.m. yesterday showed Echiverri ahead by 25,483 votes against his closest rival, outgoing District 2 Rep. Luis “Baby” Asistio.

Echiverri garnered 115,346 votes to Asistio’s 89,863 votes, Reynaldo Malonzo’s 32,461 votes, and Macario “Boy” Asistio’s 6,228 votes.

Also set to be proclaimed yesterday were re-electionist District 1 Rep. Oscar Malapitan and Councilor Mitch Cajayon, who won his bid to represent the city’s second district in Congress.

Malapitan earned 91,124 votes against Ricojudge Echiverri, who garnered 46,874 votes; Nadia Montenegro, 4,715 votes; and Leo Garra, 4,576 votes.

Cajayon won in District 2 with 24,295 votes against Edgar Erice, 21,386 votes; Nilo Divina, 18,758 votes; and Tino Bagus, 14,482 votes.

The winning District 1 councilors are Susan Ponzalan, 74,689 votes; Melinda Mabagos, 72,683 votes; Gualberto Bacolod, 72,005 votes; Nora Nubla, 71,322 votes; Dante Prado, 64,184 votes and Ramon Te, 57,233 votes.

In District 2, the winning candidates for councilor are Chito Abel, 43,893 votes; Macario Asistio III, 41,620 votes; Teven Cunanan, 39,422 votes; Rose Mercado, 39,399 votes; Alex Aruelo, 39,178 votes; and Marjorie Baretto-Baldivia, 31,923 votes.

Of the winning councilors, 11 belong to Echiverri’s team while Asistio III belongs to the opposition. Echiverri is the pro-administration Lakas party chairman in Caloocan City.