Marcoses retain grip on Ilocos Norte bailiwick

MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos clan continues to hold the Ilocos province as its stronghold in 2019.

At the start of the new term for local candidates, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos will hand over the leadership of the province to her son, Matthew Marcos Manotoc.

Manotoc ran unopposed after Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte, 1st District) withdrew his candidacy on May 2, less than two weeks before the polls.

Clan matriarch, Rep. Imelda Marcos (Ilocos Norte, 2nd District), initially filed her candidacy for the gubernatorial race in Ilocos Norte but she withdrew November last year.

By Tuesday noon, 100% of the election returns in Ilocos Norte have been tallied, and it showed that, even with Fariñas’ withdrawal, Manotoc obtained 260,938 votes.

Manotoc’s vice governor is Cecile Araneta-Marcos who ran in the stead of his late husband, Ilocos Norte Board Member Mariano Marcos II.

Manotoc and Marcos were fielded by the Nacionalista Party.

Another Marcos kin, Ilocos Norte Vice Gov. Eugenio Angelo Barba is poised to become Ilocos Norte’s 2nd District Representative having secured 87,725 votes.

Barba, Imee's first cousin according to a STAR report, also ran under the Nacionalista Party.

Ria Fariñas, daughter of the incumbent Ilocos Norte 1st District representative, meanwhile took over her father’s post. She obtained 106,780 votes.

Meanwhile, Imee is poised to enter the Senate as she currently ranks 8th in the race with close to 5% votes remaining to be tallied. — Kristine Joy Patag