GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 10 May) – Deputy House Speaker and Sarangani Rep. Rogelio Pacquiao, younger brother of Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, was formally proclaimed Tuesday night as the newly elected governor of the province.
The provincial board of canvassers (PBOC) led by election supervisor Jay Gerada convened around 6 p.m. at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall for the proclamation following the completion of the canvassing of votes from 569 clustered precincts in the province’s seven municipalities.
Pacquiao, the standard bearer of political party People’s Champ Movement (PCM), garnered a total of 166,249 votes, which represents 73.42 percent of the total votes cast for governor in Monday’s polls.
His closest rival, Mohamad Aquia of Aksyon Democratiko, only cornered over 52,000 votes while independent bet Gladden Lim got around 7,400 votes.
Pacquiao’s landslide win continued a feat that started in the 2013 elections for the PCM, the party founded by Senator Pacquiao, which swept the other top provincial posts and winning six of the seven mayoral races.
Party bets won all seven vice mayoralty races and captured majority of the municipal council seats.
“Ang aking taos-pusong pasasalamat sa makasaysayan at nag-uumapaw na mandato na ibinigay niyo sa inyong lingkod, gayon na rin sa ating mga kapartido sa People’s Champ Movement,” Pacquiao said in a statement.
“Makakaasa po kayo na sa aking pamamahala sa kapitolyo, ang kapakanan ng bawat Sarangan ang laging mauuna,” he added.
The PBOC also proclaimed the younger Pacquiao’s running mate, incumbent Vice Gov. Elmer de Peralta and 10 winning provincial board members.
Senator Pacquiao’s brother-in-law Russel Jamora topped the provincial board race in the first district along with PCM bets Jess Bascuña, Arnold Abiquebel and Rosemarie Sayo.
Incumbent board members and PCM stalwarts Irish Arnado, Ephraim Galzote, Joseph Calanao, Jose Tranquilino Ruiz and Corazon Grapilo are headed to another win along with newcomer Gwynn Singcoy.
In the congressional race, outgoing Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon of PCM mustered a landslide win with over 200,678 votes against retired police officer Willie Dangane of Partido Pederal Maharlika who only got around 16,000 votes.
In the municipal level, six of the seven mayoral candidates fielded by PCM were also proclaimed as winners.
They are Alexander Bryan Reganit in Maitum town, Vic Paul Salarda in Alabel, Tessa Constantino in Malungon and Zyrex Pacquiao in Maasim, Victor James Yap in Glan, and Salway Sumbo in Malapatan.
PCM’s bet in Kiamba town, the incumbent mayor Danny Martinez, lost to George Falgui of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.
Zyrex, who first won as mayor in 2019 after landing second in the municipal council race in Maasim in 2016, is a nephew of Senator Pacquiao. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)
