Governor Vi posts big lead over Sanchez widow

BATANGAS, Philippines – Actress-politician Vilma Santos-Recto is winning by a big margin in the gubernatorial race over her rival Edna Sanchez.

Based on the GMA’s Election 2010 Regional Election Result Tally (partial and unofficial results) with 82.91 percent of the election returns in the province, re-electionist Santos-Recto got 569,378 votes while Sanchez had 371,072 votes.

Santos-Recto served as Lipa City mayor for three terms starting 1998 and became the first woman governor of Batangas in 2007 when she defeated Edna’s husband, former governor Armand Sanchez.

Sanchez was supposed to run again against Santos-Recto but he died due to brain hemorrhage last April 27. He was replaced by his widow after the Commission on Elections approved her petition for substitution.

In the vice gubernatorials race, Jose Antonio “Mark” Leviste II got 630,845 votes while Edwin Ermita, son of former executive secretary Eduardo Ermita, got 250,809 votes.

Meanwhile, former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita is tailing his closest rival, former finance undersecretary Tomas Apacible, in the first district congressional race with 97,493 votes against the latter’s 116,624 votes.

In the second district, Hermilando Mandanas led with 149,359 votes against Godofredo Berberabe’s 85,595 votes, while in the third district, Nelson Collantes was ahead of Cristeta Reyes with 62,171 votes against the latter’s 54,465 votes.

In the fifth district, Mark Leandro Mendoza, son of Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza, had a wide margin over his rival, Praxedes Bustamante, 237,255 versus 13,760 votes.