KALIBO, Aklan – The province of Aklan is swearing in eight new mayors.
In Kalibo, outgoing Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Juris Bautista Sucro had 25,907 votes against reelectionist Mayor Emerson Sucgang Lachica who had 18,968 votes.
Sucro, of Bagumbayan Volunteers for a New Philippines, was leading with 6,939 votes against Lachica of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, according to final tally of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Former New Washington councilor Jessica Regenio Panambo of the Nacionalista Party won the hotly-contested mayoral race there against reelectionist Mayor Shimonette Peralta Francisco of Aksyon Demokratiko.
Panambo got 14,218 votes while the two-term mayor Francisco obtained 13,941 voters.
National Unity Party’s Michael Reyes Ramos in Batan defeated Jindra Linda Laurente Demeterio of the Nationalist People’s Coalition and Aksyon Demokratiko candidate Dante Tulio Reyes.
Ramos had 10,434 votes, while Demeterio trailed in second place with 6,294 votes and Reyes with 1,778 votes.
Former Altavas vice mayor Denny Dalida Refol Sr. of the Nationalist People’s Coalition ran unopposed and got 10,531 votes for mayor.
Banga vice mayor Noel Lipana Redison won by more than 3,000 votes to become the new mayor against Roginie Jamison Villar of Lakas-NUCD.
Redison of Nationalist People’s Coalition tallied 13,122 votes versus 9,924 votes for Villar.
Outgoing Madalag vice mayor Rex Tupas Gubatina of the Nationalist People’s Coalition prevailed in the tight mayoral election with 5,714 votes against 5,153 votes of Joemar Villas Legaspi of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan.
In Makato, outgoing vice mayor Ramon Anselmo Martin Dayan Legaspi III of Aksyon Demokratiko secured the mayoral post, winning with 9,508 votes against 8,728 votes of outgoing councilor Abencio Honeyboy Pajanustan Torres III of PDP-Laban.
Maria Fe Taunan Lasaleta of the Nacionalista Party won as Nabas mayor, defeating her closest opponent by slim margin of 251 votes.
Lasaleta obtained 9,522 votes, while Noli Dioso Palomata of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan got 9,271 votes and Lee Antipas Barrientos Sabar of Aksyon Demokratiko who obtained 2,005 votes.
Outgoing provincial board member Jose Miguel Martin Miraflores of PDP-Laban also won the mayoral race in Ibajay with 23,940 votes.
Miraflores has no opponents./PN
