Most Arroyo ex-Cabinet men second-placers in local polls, unofficial tally shows

Most of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s former Cabinet members who are seeking local elective posts have yet to catch up with their rivals, partial and unofficial results of the May 10 polls showed. GMA Network’s tally as of 9:31 a.m. on Tuesday showed that former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, former presidential chief legal counsel Raul Gonzalez, former Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera and former presidential peace adviser Hermogenes Esperon placed second to their rivals. Ermita, who is seeking a House of Representatives seat in Batangas’ first district, received 92,207 votes. His sole rival, Tomas Apacible, got 116,357 votes. In the five-way mayoral race in Iloilo City, Gonzalez (29,535 votes) ranked second to Jed Patrick Mabilog (34,556 votes). Devanadera ranks second in the five-way congressional race in Quezon’s first district. The former solicitor general and Justice secretary received 66,315 votes. Front runner Wilfrido Enverga garnered 88,080 votes. In Pangasinan, Esperon (58, 398 votes) placed second to Marlyn Primicias-Agabas (82,846) in the three-way congressional race in the province’s sixth district. Apart from serving as President Arroyo’s adviser on the peace process, Esperon also served as chief of the Philippine military. His military tour of duty was tainted by allegations that he was involved in election fraud in the 2004 elections. Esperon has since denied such allegations. In the three-way Capiz gubernatorial race, former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc" Bolante (107,141 votes) placed second to incumbent Gov. Victor Tanco (169,375 votes). On the other hand, only former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, former Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., and former Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane seemed poised to victory. Yap, who is running unopposed as congressman in Bohol’s third district, received 130,918 votes as of Tuesday morning. Andaya, who is seeking a congressional post in Camarines Sur’s first district, received 54,842 votes. His sole rival, Nestor de los Reyes, got only 9,746 votes. Ebdane topped the gubernatorial race in Zambales with 117,121 votes, according to GMA Network's partial and unofficial tally as of 11:10 a.m. on Tuesday. — RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV