Dandee wins!
(AILEEN M. GRAFIL)
TACLOBAN CITY — Mayor Alfred Romualdez secured his third and final term as chief executive of the city, with his son Raymund Romualdez winning the vice mayoral seat in the 2025 local elections.
Seven of Romualdez’s council bets also clinched victories, including Dandee Grafil, who landed sixth overall in the race.
The father-and-son tandem, along with their slate, were officially proclaimed winners by the City Board of Canvassers at 5:50 a.m. on Tuesday.
In a brief message following his proclamation, Mayor Romualdez thanked Taclobanons for their continued trust and support.
“There are still a lot of problems to attend to, and we will address them,” he said. “But we hope for the best, and I am happy that we remain a peaceful city — one that also posted the lowest inflation rate in the region.”
He added that he remains committed to making Tacloban, the regional capital, even more progressive.
Romualdez received over 66,000 votes, far ahead of his closest rival, Michael de la Cruz, who garnered just over 20,000 votes.
Meanwhile, Raymund Romualdez earned over 61,000 votes, handily defeating Makoy Romualdez, who got 17,300 votes.
The winning city councilors were Edmund Edward Chua, Edward Frederick Chua, Jerry Uy, Marty Romualdez, Eric de Veyra, Dandee Grafil, Christopher Esperas, Brian “Yanyan” Granados, Jom Bagulaya, and Edson Malaki.
The Chua siblings, Esperas, Granados, Uy, and Malaki return to the city council with new terms.
Grafil, husband of outgoing Councilor Aimee Grafil; de Veyra; and Marty Romualdez, son of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, are newcomers to the council. Bagulaya makes a comeback, having previously served as a councilor.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
