P-noy magic fails in Baguio; Cosalan leads Benguet polls

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – The feared P-noy magic of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino was not effective in putting in place administration candidates in power in the country’s summer capital as most Liberal Party candidates for local positions were outclassed by their rivals during the May 13 elections.

Lawyer Nicasio Aliping of the Baguio Independent Democratic Alliance (BIDA) party won the city’s hotly contested congressional seat by 2,818 votes over his closest rival Mark Go of the LP and a commanding 13,000-vote lead over incumbent Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara, standard-bearer of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan of UNA defeated for the third consecutive time his perennial challenger lawyer Jose. M. Molintas of LP by a margin of 5,000 votes and concretized his hold over the city’s mayoralty post for the second term after serving his three terms as city mayor from 1992 to 2001 and three terms as congressman from 2001-2010.

Vice Mayor Daniel T. Farinas of NP got his ticket for his third term in office when he convincingly won over LP and other aspirants for his position with a margin of more than 70,000 over his closest rival independent Francis Padawil.

In the 12-seat city council, UNA bets garnered six positions, 4 seats were collared by the LP candidates while one each went to BIDA and an independent LP candidate.

The winning councilors which are arranged according to the votes that they garnered are Edison Bilog (LP), Roberto Ortega (UNA), Betty Lourdes Tabanda (UNA), Isabelo Cosalan, Jr. (LP), Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. (independent), Elmer Datuin (UNA), Richard Carino (BIDA), Faustino Olowan (LP), Joel Alangsab (UNA), Elaine Sembrano (UNA), Peter Fianza (LP) and Fred Bagbagen (UNA).

In Benguet, incumbent Ronald M. Cosalan (LP) continues to lead the way in the congressional race against his rival Vice Gov. Cresencio Pacalso of the National Unity Party (NUP) as canvassing of votes for three out of the thirteen towns were still being awaited by the provincial board of canvassers as of press time.

Gov. Nestor Fongwan (NUP) is now on his way to his third term as he is leading the way convincingly in the gubernatorial race against his nearest rival lawyer Jerome Selmo (LP).

In Abra, incumbent Rep. Joy Valera-Berons (LP) regained her post as he clobbered her challengers Vice Governor Rolando Somera and lawyer Hans Luna while Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin convincingly won over former Rep. Cecile Luna to concretize his third term as the father of the province.

Gov. Leonardo Mayaen of Mountain Province defeated Arch. Arnold Pilando for him to continue serving his provincemates for his second term as governor.

Apayao Rep. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang and his brother Elias Bulut, Jr. were overwhelmingly re-elected by their constituents to continue serving them in their current positions.