Slain Abra mayor's wife wins

BANGUED, Abra, Philippines – The widow of a slain Abra town mayor was proclaimed winner in the lone district congressional race of this violence-rocked province, edging out re-electionist Rep. Cecilia Luna.

Proclaimed was Jocelyn Valera-Bernos, widow of former La Paz mayor Israel Bernos, garnering 48,212 votes against Luna’s 46,880.

Her husband was killed while watching a basketball game in the town plaza four years ago.

The congresswoman-elect comes from a political family herself, being the daughter of Bangued Mayor Dominic Valera who is facing charges for the killing of a driver of rival Ryan Luna.

Also proclaimed was re-electionist Abra Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin, younger brother of the late congressman Chito Bersamin who was gunned down while attending a church wedding in Quezon City in 2006.  – Teddy Molina, Artemio Dumlao