Tupas concedes defeat to Defensor
Garin takes landslide win as vice governor
Gubernatorial candidate Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul Tupas has already conceded defeat after latest election tallies showed his opponent Third District Rep. Arthur Defensor Sr. leading by a convincing margin.
Tupas, speaking over Bombo Radyo Iloilo, said he accepts the fact that Defensor is already winning the gubernatorial race.
Tupas likewise thanked his supporters as well as political leaders in the province who have helped him during the campaign.
Tupas cited that Defensor had the support of majority of the mayors and congressmen in the province which helped him win.
He urged Defensor to take care of Iloilo Provincial Capitol employees when he assumes office as governor.
Meanwhile, Defensor promised transparency in governance once he assumed as governor noontime of June 30.
He added that he will practice “leadership by example” as he stressed that serving in the government is as “sacrifice and not an opportunity for material gain.”
“I call on officials and employees to make people truly believe that the government is serious seeking transparency,” he said.
He said that upon his assumption, he will review the programs and policy of the province on health, power and agriculture.
Election results from 36 out of 42 municipalities, including Passi City, canvassed by the Provincial Board of Canvassers as of press time yesterday showed that Defensor got 294,089 votes while Tupas got 259,023 votes or a margin of 35,066.
Areas that have yet to transmit election results to the Provincial Canvassing Center are: Guimbal, Tubungan and Miag-ao in the first district, Leganes in the second district, Janiuay in the third district, Passi City in the fourth district and Barotac Viejo in the fifth district.
Defensor established a lead in four congressional districts except in the fifth district considered as political turf of the Tupases.
Meanwhile, in the vice gubernatorial race first district Board Member Richard Garin established a landslide win against former vice governor Roberto Armada.
Latest count showed that Garin got 328,932 votes while Armada got only 188,097 or a wide margin of 140,835. (With reports from PNA)
