STA. BARBARA—Retired police Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco was proclaimed winner on Wednesday by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in the hotly fought mayoralty race here.

Velasco garnered a total of 15,827 votes against his rival Carlito Zaplan, who got 12,441.

Winning with Velasco were his vice mayor and six out of eight councilors in his official slate under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and KAMPI.

Velasco joins his classmates Senator Panfilo Lacson and Gregorio Honasan among the elected alumni of the Philippine Military Academy Matatag Class ’71, in public office.

Upon his proclamation, Velasco thanked his supporters and the people of Sta. Barbara for choosing to elect a new set of candidates that campaigned on a platform of reforms against an entrenched clan that dominated the municipal government for 15 years.

“The result of the election has proven that people are hungry for reforms,” the retired police director and rookie politician said.

Zaplan sought to return to his former post he occupied for nine years and at present occupied by his companion.

Political observers noted how Velasco pulled off his win despite the vaunted machinery of his opponent and  his access to municipal government resources thru the incumbent mayor.

Velasco called on the people to set aside conflicts created by the election and to close ranks in moving the town forward even as he pledged that he will seek justice for abuses committed by the previous mayors.

The town of Sta. Barbara has remained am underdeveloped municipality despite its close proximity to the booming city of Urdaneta.

He reiterated his pledge to make Sta. Barbara a model town in efficient and transparent governance, in upgrading basic education in public schools, in the implementation of critical public works projects, in sports development, and in creating jobs and livelihood opportunities   for its residents.

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