Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday praised both the winning and losing candidates in the recent special election for the 5th district congressional seat in Negros Occidental, for displaying the highest level of professionalism in their political campaign.

This contributed to the holding of a peaceful and orderly election in the 5th district, with the cooperation of its populace, Marañon, who also commended the military and police for a job well done in their peacekeeping mission, said.

Despite heavy rains, Marañon said, the people of the 5th district flocked to polling places, and voted for their candidate.

Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol won by 13,103 votes over his nephew, Board Member Emilio Yulo III, who had conceded his defeat in the congressional race.

Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes, who lauded the exemplary performance of the military and police in Negros Occidental for making the June 2 special election “peaceful and orderly”, said they would like to make the Negros experience as an example in the 2013 elections.

Not a single election-related incident had taken place in the 45-day election period, police records show.

Mirasol, as the successor of the late Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo in the House of Representatives, Marañon said, will be an advantage to the 5th district, since he is an administration candidate and a supporter of President Benigno Aquino III and Mar Roxas during the 2010 presidential election.

Vice-Mayor Emmanuel Aranda is expected to succeed Mirasol as the mayor of Binalbagan, while Yulo is expected to return to his old position as a member of the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan.*GPB

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