By HENRY EMPEÑO | May 13, 2025

IBA, Zambales — There were no surprises in the recent local election results here, as Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and allies dominated the May 12 exercise, securing 11 seats out of 12 elective posts in the province and also topping the polls for the two congressional districts.

Ebdane’s homegrown Sulong Zambales Party (SZP) and allied groups also won eight seats each for both mayoral and vice-mayoral posts in the 13 municipalities comprising Zambales.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed Ebdane and other winners early Tuesday morning, May 13, at the Comelec office in this town.

Ebdane, who ran under SZP for his third consecutive term as provincial executive, obtained 306,367 votes, or 90.85% of the total votes cast, while Ayta leader Chito Balintay, who ran as an independent, received 30,857 votes, or 9.15%.

This election gave the governor his fifth elective victory. Ebdane first ran and won as governor in 2010 and was re-elected three years later.

Meanwhile, incumbent Vice Governor Jacqueline Khonghun (Lakas), who was Ebdane’s running-mate in the last two elections, ran unopposed and garnered 279,807 votes.

Her brother, incumbent Zambales First District Representative Jay Khonghun (Lakas), was also unopposed and got re-elected with 160,887 votes.

In the Second Legislative District, another Ebdane ally, incumbent Congresswoman Doris “Bing” Maniquiz (Lakas), won another term with 173,0743 votes (68.41%), roundly beating former 2nd District Representative Cheryl Deloso-Montalla, who got 79,928 votes (31.59%) under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) banner.

SZP candidates for the provincial board in the First District also took over the three available seats without any opposition: Cecil Felarca-Rafanan, with 68,244 votes; Ike Delgado, 64,243; and Elmer Tumaca, 57,734 votes.

In the Second District of Zambales, the SZP likewise proved to be a powerhouse with the governor’s son, incumbent Board Member Jun Rundstedt Ebdane retaking the top slot with 158,804 votes. The rest are Reena Mae Collado, with 137,615; Samantha Ablola, 123,806; Jim Abasta, 110,623; Eric Matibag, 100,127; and Reynaldo Tarongoy, 86,847 votes.

The only non-SZP winner in the Second District is Jury Deloso (NPC), who ranked fourth with 112,502 votes.

Deloso, a nephew of former Gov. Amor Deloso who was erstwhile an Ebdane rival, also ran under the SZP banner in the 2016 elections and took the top slot for the Second District. 