Award-winning actress Vilma Santos sailed to her third and last term as mayor of this bustling Batangas city, chalking up a margin of 34,618 votes over her closest rival.
Santos, wife of Sen. Ralph Recto, garnered 58,323 votes. Trailing behind her were former mayor Ruben Umali with 23,705 votes; Mel Montuano, 6,607; and Mar Panganiban, 4,271.
Santos and her vice mayoral running mate, former councilor Lydio Lopez, swept all 72 barangays of Lipa City.
Lopez got 68,901 votes, beating his three rivals by a wide margin.
When she was proclaimed, Santos offered the hand of reconciliation to her opponents.
"Kung anuman ang mga nagawa ko at nasaktan sila, patawarin nila ako, at kung sinuman ang nakasakit at nanira sa akin ay pinatatawad ko na rin sila (If I did anything wrong that hurt them, I ask for forgiveness. I also forgive anyone who has hurt and tried to destroy me)," she said.
Santos reiterated her 10-point agenda focusing on health, education, livelihood, peace and order, infrastructure, public markets, garbage disposal, beautification, computerization and traffic management.