Bacolod City, Negros Occidental — Representative Evelio Leonardia reclaims City Hall after a bitter electoral contest last May 9, 2016 for the Bacolod mayoralty against old foe, incumbent Mayor Monico Puentevella. With 120,231 votes or a lead of 22,238 votes over Puentevella’s 97,993 votes, Leonardia ended what many here in the city had billed as “The Final Battle” between him and Puentevella against whom he had been locked in a protracted political contest since 1988. The votes cast for Leonardia in the last May 9, 2016 local elections gave him the biggest landslide victory in the history of Bacolod politics. Leonardia will now be going back to City Hall for an unprecedented fifth term as mayor of this city. Both Leonardia and Puentevella started their political careers in 1988 when they both ran for the city council. Leonardia topped that election with Puentevella coming in second. Three years later, they both ran for Bacolod City vice-mayor. Leonardia won. The rivalry between the two men continued to be played out in media as both subsequently successfully ran for different political posts – Puentevella for Congress while Leonardia took City Hall. They encountered each other again in 2010 when Puentevella gunned for the mayoralty after his congressional stint. He was foiled by Leonardia in that contest. In 2013, with Leonardia’s term as mayor ending, Puentevella ran for that post and won. Leonardia, meanwhile, ran for and was voted to Congress. In the last elections, Leonardia decided to give up his congressional seat and run for mayor against Puentevella, a contest in which the latter was trounced royally. It was also a landside win for Leonardia’s party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition-Grupo Progreso (GP) with members clinching positions for congressman, vice mayor, and eight of the 12 city council seats. Puentevella’s Pamilya Magbinuligay Kita Kapamilya, meanwhile, only won four slots in the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council). Incumbent Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya won as congressman, while El Cid Familiaran won as Bacolod City Vice Mayor.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
|