The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
As expected, several well-known entertainers and a few athletes outshone their rivals to emerge victorious in last Monday’s national and local elections.
On top of the list are senator and Eat Bulaga co-host Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who’s currently in the upper half of the Senate race’s so-called Magic 12, and eight-time boxing champion and Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao of Sarangani province, who’s in the lower half, despite the worldwide backlash he received over his anti-gay-marriage remarks in February.
The proclamation of the winners in that race is expected this week.
At the local level, former president and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada won a second term after narrowly defeating predecessor Alfredo Lim by garnering 283,149 votes.
Prize-winning actor Yul Servo, meanwhile, earned a seat in Congress as representative of the city’s third district.
In Quezon City, former actor and Mayor Herbert Bautista retained his post after getting about 729,591 votes, and Alfredo Vargas III, also an ex-actor, won unopposed as the representative of the city’s fifth district. This is also the district where Anjo Yllana was reelected as councilor.
Former taekwendo champ and actor Monsour del Rosario was proclaimed the representative of the first district of Makati City, while actor-dancer Virgilio “Jhong” Hilario and singer Rico J. Puno won seats in the council of the city’s first district.
In Parañaque City, actors Vandolph Quizon and Jomari Yllana, and singer Roselle Nava, were among those declared the city’s new councilors.
Actress Lani Mercado, wife of detained Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., won the race for mayor of Bacoor town, Cavite province, while her son Jolo was elected as the province’s new vice governor.
After nine years as governor of Batangas province, Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos will enter Congress as the new representative of the province’s sixth district. Former Viva Hotbabes member Andrea del Rosario, meanwhile, came out triumphant in the vice mayoral race in Calatagan town.
In Leyte province, former sexy star Cristina Gonzalez-Romualdez is set to succeed her husband Alfred as mayor of Tacloban City, actor Richard Gomez was chosen as Ormoc City’s new mayor, and his wife Lucy Torres-Gomez was reelected as the representative of the province’s fourth district.
Actor Dan Fernandez won the race for mayor of Santa Rosa City, Laguna province, while in Bulacan province, Daniel Fernando defeated fellow actor Philip Salvador to win as vice governor. PNA