SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 12 May) – A single vote decided who should occupy the eighth and last slot in the Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council) of this town.
The day went to Vanjune Napao, who got 12,333 votes to edge out Lito Tandag who obtained 12,232 votes.
Napao’s nail biter of a victory completed a sweep of all local posts by the opposition group “Team Gugma sa Lungsod” (Love of Town) led by lawyer Grace Carmel Paredes-Bravo, who won as mayor, and former town councilor Arth Ryan Palabrica, the vice mayor-elect.
Bravo and Palabrica won in landslide fashion against the incumbents, Mayor Solomon Rufila and Vice Mayor Bernardino Ursos.
Bravo got 23,853 votes against Rufila’s 15,729 while Palabrica obtained 21,879 votes against Ursos’ 14,605.
In neighboring gold-rich Rosario town, Jose Cuyos Sr., a former three-term mayor, and his running mate Eddie de Paz foiled the reelection bid of Mayor Jupiter Abulog and his sister, Vice Mayor Mars Abulog.
Cuyos got 15, 770 votes while Abulog had 12,544 votes. De Paz got 14,256 votes while the mayor’s sibling had 12,343 votes. Their whole slate for the Sangguniang Bayan also won.
In the 2019 midterm elections Bravo’s brother, John Paredes, lost to Rufila by a slim margin. Paredes ran for the Sangguniang Bayan on May 9 and landed on the 5th place.
Also in 2019, Cuyos’ wife Juvy lost to Abulog.
The winners in both towns were proclaimed on May 10 while the unopposed candidates for the provincial posts were proclaimed on Wednesday at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall.
The reelected provincial officials comprise Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza of the second district, Rep. Alfelito Bascug of the first district, Gov. Santiago Cane Jr., Vice Gov. Samuel Tortor and the five provincial board members each from the two districts. (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)
