Celebrities win big in Philippine mid-term elections

While there are some losers in a number of actors and other celebrities who ran in the Philippines’ May 13 mid-term elections, the number of winners far outweighs those who did not make it through.
 
Jinkee Pacquiao, wife to Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, was one of the early apparent winners as she won the vice gubernatorial post in Sarangani, a province on the southernmost tip of the Philippines’ second-largest island of Mindanao.
 
The biggest winners who had showbiz roots, of course, were former president Joseph Estrada, who has already been proclaimed mayor of Manila; his running mate Isko Moreno, formerly an actor who was discovered from the slums of Tondo, a district of Manila; and former actor Herbert Bautista, re-electionist mayor of Metro Manila’s Quezon City.
 
The other early winners were former award-winning dramatic actress Vilma Santos, who has apparently been re-elected governor of Batangas, one of the country’s most industrialised provinces; and TV personality Lucy Torres, wife of actor Richard Gomez, as re-electionist congresswoman in the 4th district of the central Philippine province of Leyte.
 
Gomez might not be as lucky as his wife, however, as he was trailing behind his opponent for the mayoralty post in Leyte’s Ormoc City in the ongoing canvassing. It was a small margin, however.
 
Actor Christopher de Leon apparently lost his bid to become congressman of the 2nd district of Batangas.
 
The other big losers were Annabelle Rama, former actress and now stage-mother to her children by actor Eddie Gutierrez, who sought a congressional seat in the north district of the central Philippine province of Cebu; and Joey Marquez, former live-in partner of presidential sister Kris Aquino, who wanted to become congressman of Metro Manila’s Parañaque City.
 
Jolo Revilla, son of actor and Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr, won as vice governor of Cavite province against Jay Lacson, brother of Pampi Lacson, who is the estranged husband of actress Jodi Santa Maria, Jolo’s current girlfriend. Jay and Pampi are sons of Senator Panfilo Lacson, formerly director-general of the Philippine National Police.
 
Actor Alfred Vargas, a graduate of the elite Ateneo de Manila University, was also an apparent winner as congressman of Quezon City’s 5th district, while comedian Roderick Paulate has been reelected councilor of Quezon City’s 2nd district and TV host and comedian Anjo Yllana also won as councilor in the 5th district of the same city. Yllana’s brother Ryan also won as councilor of Parañaque City.
 
Gian and Lala Sotto, children of former TV host and comedian and now Senator Tito Sotto, and their cousin Wahoo also won as councilors in their district.
 
Janelle Ejercito, eldest child of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, son of newly elected Manila Mayor Estrada, won as councilor for the 2nd district of Metro Manila’s San Juan City, bailiwick of the Ejercitos (Estrada is a screen name).
 
TV and movie director Lino Cayetano, brother of reelected Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Pia Cayetano, won as congressman in his family’s turf, Metro Manila’s Taguig City. Just before he took a leave of absence from his showbiz work, Lino was rumoured to have been sending text messages to Kris Aquino.

 

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