Degamo widow wins congressional seat in Negros Oriental

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Janice Degamo, widow of slain Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, beats Janice Teves and Reynaldo Lopez

CEBU, Philippines – Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, widow of murdered governor Roel Degamo, was declared as the winner in the congressional race in Negros Oriental’s 3rd District on Monday, May 12.

Degamo won with 108,185 votes against her opponents, retired navy colonel Reynaldo Lopez and Janice Teves, aunt of former governor Pryde Henry Teves and fugitive ex-congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr.. This is based on partial, unofficial results with 82.93% precincts reporting as of 9:02 am on Tuesday, May 13.

Degamo ran under Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas–CMD). Teves ran under the Liberal Party while Lopez was an independent candidate.

Degamo’s win is a significant moment for the district once held by Arnolfo who has been tagged a “terrorist” and mastermind behind the March 2023 attack, known as the Pamplona massacre, that took the lives of at least 10 people, including Roel’s.

The House of Representatives removed Arnolfo from his seat on August 16, 2023, and since then, House Speaker Martin Romualdez had been the district’s caretaker. 

A special election had been set in Negros Oriental’s 3rd District simultaneously with the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections but was cancelled by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on November 8, 2023. – Rappler.com