BAGUIO CITY – The city board of canvassers Tuesday proclaimed the winners in the congressional, mayoralty, vice-mayoralty and members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod positions after the peaceful, orderly and successful staging of the May 9, 2016 general and automated elections in the city.
The board, which was composed of City Election Officer John Paul Martin as chairman, City Prosecutor Elmer Manuel Sagsago as vice chairman and City Schools Division Superintendent Francis Cesar Bringas as secretary, proclaimed businessman Mark O. Go as the city’s winning candidate for Representative after he garnered 45,687 votes compared to the 40,766 votes earned by incumbent Rep. Nicasio M. Aliping, Jr., the 20,649 votes earned by former 4-term Rep. and 1-term Mayor Bernardo M. Vergara, the 2,957 votes of Engr. Rudy Aspilan and the 648 votes of Edgardo Duque.
5-term Mayor and 3-term Rep. Mauricio G. Domogan got a fresh mandate from the city’s electorate after he was proclaimed by the board of canvassers as the winning candidate for City Mayor by virtue of the 46,831 votes he garnered from the 252 clustered precincts in the city compared to the 39,960 votes of retired Judge Edliberto T. Claravall, the 24,235 votes of human rights lawyer Jose M. Molintas and the 631 votes of former Baguio Water District (BWD) Director Engr. Guillermo Hernandez.
Incumbent vice Mayor Edison R. Bilog was proclaimed the winner for the city’s vice-mayoralty post after he earned 46,020 votes compared to the 27,785 votes of 3-term Councilor Isabelo Cosalan, Jr., the 21,759 votes of 6-term Councilor and 1-term Vice Mayor Betty Lourdes Tabanda, the 12,193 votes of 3-term Councilor Fred Bagbagen and the 328 votes of Jeffrey Pinic.
Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. topped the 12-member council slate with 55,594 votes followed by former Youth Sector Rep. Edgar Avila with 54,943 votes. Incumbent Councilor Roberto Ortega placed third with 54,861, incumbent Councilor Joel Alangsab placed fourth with 53,753 votes, incumbent Councilor Faustino Olowan landed fifth with 52,833 votes while rounding up the first six local legislators is incumbent Councilor Elmet Datuin with 49,968 votes.
Arch. Maria Mylen Victoria Yaranon landed in seventh with 48,921 votes, incumbent Councilor Ellaine D. Sembrano was in eight place with 47,386 votes, incumbent councillor Peter Fianza occupied ninth place with 44,386 votes while Quezon Hill Punong Barangay Lilia Fariñas, wife for the late Vice Mayor Daniel T. Fariñas, was in tenth spot with 42,099 votes, newsman Arthur Lad-iw was in 11th position with 41,512 while completing the roster was former Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) Director Benny Bomogao who earned 37,400 votes.
Martin said of the 147,794 registered voters in the city, 115,929 voters from the different clustered precincts were able to cast their votes representing a total of 78.43 percent voter turnout.
The canvassing of votes was completed around 11:45 pm on Election Day but the members of the board decided to hold the proclamation of winners the following day to give chance for the completion of administrative matters prior to the proclamation of winners.
By Dexter A. See
