TACLOBAN CITY – Local print and broadcast journalist Reyan Arinto won for his first ever venture into the local political arena as Tunga town voters placed him fourth in the council roosters.
Arinto, 27, said that this year’s elections proved that money cannot win it all in the Philippine polls citing his candidacy, which was more set on a sold platform and legislative agenda.
In his campaign, he said that he would be espousing legislative measures to push for youth development, gender equality and environmental awareness apart from their party agenda which is to practically overhaul the town’s local governance.
Before he ran for a seat in the town’s council, Arinto was a correspondent of the Leyte Samar Daily Express and DYVL-Aksiyon Radyo. He also made his mark as an information officer of Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) Regional Office after he became a newscaster and writer in the defunct Bombo Radyo Tacloban.
As a journalist, he said, he was able to dissect the various problems facing all kinds of people from farmers to pedicab drivers to city workers and everybody else, which would help him a lot in outlining pro-people policies in his hometown.
Meanwhile, former Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) official Engr. Eulalio “Laloy” Go Maderazo posted a landslide win over his rival Edwin Pantas in the vice mayoralty race in Caibiran town Biliran.
Engr. Maderazo, who sought fro the vie-mayoralty post for the first time, said that he is grateful for the overwhelming support of the people of Caibiran for his first bid.
He said that the power of conscience and the power of patriotism could overcome the power of money when it comes to winning the election.
“I would like to believe that the people of Caibiran are ready to make a statement that conscience and principle are even stronger than the power of money and machinery this May 2007,” he said.
The former LMWD official said that he would be espousing a legislative agenda that will push for local tourism development, more economic investments and pro-people livelihood when he sits in office as vice mayor of Caibiran this July.
