Malapitan proclaimed mayor of Caloocan

Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan has been proclaimed as the winner of the mayoralty race Tuesday by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) board of canvassers.

Malapitan clinched his reelection after getting 62.32 percent of votes in the city's 963 clustered precincts. His closest rival for the position was Caloocan City Representative Enrico Echiverri, who was mayor for three terms until 2013.

Also proclaimed winners were Malapitan's son, Dale Gonzalo, who won the congressional seat for the first district, and Edgar Erice, who won his reelection bid as the second district representative.

Although going against Echiverri was a challenge, Malapitan said the people of Caloocan are hungry for change. He said he will focus on fighting the city's drug problem on his second term.

Erice said he would let Echiverri reflect on his loss after the former mayor accused him of vote buying and violence.

Echiverri reportedly said he would make Erice answerable for the supposed election offenses. —Xianne Arcangel/NB, GMA News