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BACOLOD CITY — Members of prominent political families and influential clans in Negros Occidental continue to hold the reins of power after the last ballots have been counted in this province of vast sugarcane estates.
In the first district, Julio Ledesma IV was proclaimed winner after securing a mandate for a new term during the May 12 polls.
He previously served as congressman in 1995-2004 and 2007-2016 in the legislative district that includes San Carlos City, Escalante City, Toboso, Calatrava and Don Salvador Benedicto.
The returning lawmaker, husband of former actress Assunta de Rossi, comes from the landed Ledesma clan of San Car-los City.
2nd District Rep. Alfredo Marañon III, son of the late governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., was unopposed for his second term as he continues to represent Cadiz, Sagay and Manapla.
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In the fourth district, Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer is also set to return to the House of Representatives and succeed his wife, Juliet Marie Ferrer, granddaughter of the late ambassador Roberto Salas Benedicto.
Ferrer previously served as congressman for the cities of Bago and La Carlota, and the municipalities of Pulupandan, Valladodid, San Enrique and Pontevedra for three consecutive terms before he was elected vice governor in 2019.
5th District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo, a former provincial board member, was reelected for a second term as repre-sentative of the district composed of Himamaylan City, Hinigaran, Isabela, Binalbagan, Moises Padilla and La Castellana.
Rep. Mercedes Alvarez, daughter of her predecessor Genaro Alvarez, also obtained a mandate for a second term in the sixth district, comprising the cities of Kabankalan and Sipalay, and the municipalities of Ilog, Candoni, Cauayan and Hi-noba-an.
In Bacolod, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez will return to his old stomping grounds in the House of Representatives.
The mayor was elected congressman of the city after serving as its local chief executive for only one term.
He succeeded Greg Gasataya, a former radio broadcaster with humble beginnings, who served as lawmaker for three terms.
Benitez is a former representative of the neighboring third district that included the cities of Talisay, Silay and Victorias, and the municipalities of EB Magalona and Murcia.
This time around, his son, Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, was elected congressman of the district, succeed-ing his uncle, now Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Jose Francisco Benitez.
'Sockwins'
The election results in the province also recorded upset victories after members of political families lost their stranglehold of the major government posts.
The biggest stunner is in Isabela, where the son of a congressman defeated the son of the incumbent mayor.
Miguel Yulo, son of Rep. Emilio Yulo, won the mayoral race over Miguel Montilla, son of Mayor Irene Montilla, who ran for vice mayor in the midterm polls.
Yulo got 24,164 votes to win over Juan Miguel Montilla, the incumbent vice mayor, who got 12,067.
In neighboring Binalbagan town, former mayor Manuel Aranda got 19,263 votes to defeat Mayor Bebot Mirasol, who only got 17,203 votes.
In Bago City, councilor Mayette Javellana garnered 48,312 votes and defeated Vice Mayor Ramon Torres, who only got 36,312 votes.
