Lachica, Regalado proclaimed Kalibo winners
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL / Panay News

KALIBO, Aklan – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed the winners of the 2010 automated local elections in the capital town of Kalibo.
Election officer Lorena Tumbagahan declared former vice mayor William Lachica as winner in the mayoral fight over incumbent Sangguniang Bayan member Mark Quimpo.
Lachica of Bigkis Pinoy Party garnered 12,616 votes against Quimpo of Liberal Party-Tibyog Akean with 11,265 votes. Retired police general Efren Q. Fernandez received 8,377 votes and independent candidate Pablito Beltran with 246 votes.
In the vice mayoral race, Lachica's running mate and incumbent Sangguniang Bayan member Madeline Regalado of Bigkis Pinoy, in the final and official count of Comelec, got 11,387 votes against her closest rival three-termer Sangguniang Bayan member Gregorio Malapad of Lakas-Kampi-Tibyog Akean with 10,074 votes or a margin of 1,313 votes. Lawyer Immanuel Sodusta garnered 8,704 votes and independent candidate Roberto Mejes had 441 votes.

Lachica and Regalado also ended the dominance of Tibyog Akean for nearly two decades in the town of Kalibo. This is also the first time the Kalibonhons elected the mayor and vice mayor in the same political party since the post-Edsa.
Meanwhile, three termer vice mayor Dr. Nilda Buyoc-Tambong of Bigkis Pinoy got the highest number of votes for the Sangguniang Bayan with 17,168 votes followed by reelected councilor Emmanuel Soviet Russia Dela Cruz of Tibyog Akean with 15,642, former councilor Ariel Fernandez of Lakas Kampi-Tibyog Akean got 11,274 votes and former councilor Arnaldo Tejada of Bigkis Pinoy with 11,205.
Mark Mitchell Sy of Nacionalista Party-Tibyog Akean, former broadcast journalist, went on to grab the fifth spot with 10,522 votes, incumbent Poblacion Kalibo kagawad George Quimpo of Tibyog Akean had 10,113 votes, reelected councilor Peter Jene Lao of Bigkis Pinoy with 9,808 votes and educator Rodelio Policarpio of Bigkis Pinoy with 9,460 votes to complete the elected Sangguniang Bayan members.
Incumbent Sangguniang Bayan member Buencamino Villanueva of Bigkis Pinoy did not catch up the ‘Magic 8’ with 9,156, Randy Anthony Rebaldo of Nacionalista Party-Tibyog Akean got 8,933 votes, incumbent councilor Ronce Reyes of Tibyog Akean with 8,815 and New Buswang barangay captain Darius Demogina of Bigkis Pinoy garnered 8,482 votes.