Incumbents Dominguez, Dalog win in Mt Province
By Gina Dizon (visit their blog, the Northern Philippine Times)

Mountain Province has another three years of political leadership with incumbent 30-year congressman Victor Dominguez who won over his nephew, mayor Jupiter Dominguez by 5,609 votes and his relative, Engr. Arnulfo Pilando by 9,158 votes in the recent May 14 elections. All three candidates come from the municipality of Sabangan.

Based from records of the Commission on Elections, septuagenarian Victor Dominguez heavily scored in the towns of vote-rich Bauko, the capital town of Bontoc, Barlig and Natonin with total votes of 23,230.

Jupiter Dominguez, on the other hand, gained the highest votes in the tourist of Sagada, Besao, and from his hometown in Sabangan with total votes of 17,621. Pilando gained highest votes in Paracelis with total votes of 14,072.

Congressional aspirant former governor Sario Malinias managed to get a sizable vote from his hometown in Bauko.

Mountain Province has total of 86,106 voters with 65,609 who cast their votes in the recent elections.

Other congressional aspirants are Independent candidates Efren Lingwa, Carlito Afadchay and Francisco Siblawan.

For the governorship, incumbent board member Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr nearly snatched votes from incumbent governor Atty Maximo Dalog who won by 3,767 votes. Both candidates come from the municipality of Bauko. Lacwasan edged close to Dalog with a small difference of 69 votes in Sagada, 366 in Besao, and 285 in Bontoc while gaining highest in his hometown in Bauko, Sabangan and Barlig. Dalog however managed to lead far in Paracelis by 3089 votes.

Independent governatorial candidate Harry Dominguez managed to edge close in Tadian where he hails from the other governatorial candidates.

For the vice-governorship, former mayor Atty. Louis Claver ran away with 35,209 votes over incumbent vice governor Dr. Benjamin Dominguez who got 22,287 votes.

The lucky four board members of District 1 covering the towns of Bontoc, Sadanga, Barlig, Natonin and Paracelis are widow Eufemia Lamen who replaced his husband deceased Binky Lamen, incumbent board members Ezra Gomez from Bontoc and Luke Wanason from Paracelis, and Carino Tamang also from Paracelis. Fifteen candidates ran for the board membership in District 1, Mountain Province

Winning board members of District 11 covering the towns of Besao, Sagada, Bauko, Tadian are government personnel retiree James Polilin from Besao, incumbent board member Marcial Lawilao from Sabangan, Salvador Dalang and incumbent councilor Randolph Awisan from Bauko.

Meantime, three incumbent mayors of this province retained their seats while four lost over their mayoral rivals.

Mayors Simon Lacwasan of Bauko, Cesar Rafael of Paracelis, and Constito Masweng of Tadian retained their positions.

In the eastern front, Atty Ana Marie Bana-ag, daughter of Paracelis mayor Cesar Rafael won over incumbent mayor Patrick Banguingan of Natonin. Incumbent vice mayor Magdalena Lupoyon won over incumbent mayor Crispin Fias-ilon for the mayorship in Barlig and six other candidates for the local executive position.

Incumbent mayor Bart Guzman of Besao lost to government personnel retiree Wellington Pooten. In Sadanga, comebacking mayor Estanislao Fagto won over incumbent mayor Gabino Ganggangan and four other mayoral candidates.

In Sabangan, incumbent vice mayor Donato Danglose won over three other candidates for the mayoral position, while incumbent vice mayor Franklin Odsey also won as mayor in the capital town of Bontoc over comebacking candidate for mayor David Yawan. Engr Eduardo Latawan won as mayor in the tourist town of Sagada over incumbent councilor Dave Gulian.

Meantime, top 15 winning senators in this province are Loren Legarda (27,650 votes), Edgardo Angara (26,098), Panfilo Lacson (23,000), Prospero Pichay (22,136), Francis Joseph EScudero (20,530), Manuel Villar (20,282), Francis Pangilinan (20,188), Joker Arroyo (18,464), Luis Singson (17,633), Vincent Magsaysay (17,039), Benigno Aquino, (16,564), Gregorio Honasan (15,508), Michael Defensor (15,538), Aquilino Pimentel (15,236), and Antonio Trillanes (14,978).

Ballot snatching in Paracelis
Reports from the Philippine National Police reveal that five motor cycle riding unidentified armed men forcibly snatched ballot boxes and election returns in two precints 37 and 37 B of sitio Katao of Buringal, Paracelis and sitio Paradi also of Buringal, Paracelis.

RELATED POST: Gina Dizon on Jupiter and Saturn; Mt. Province Election Results; Mt. Province List of Candidates.