Laguna governor Ramil Hernandez wins re-election bid

Incumbent Laguna governor Ramil Hernandez won another term in the May 9 elections, defeating four rivals by a wide margin, a report by GMA News' Lei Alviz on Balitanghali said Tuesday.

Hernandez of the Nacionalista Party was proclaimed winner with 630,182 votes, over former governor ER Ejercito III's 231,414 and Jorge Antonio Ejercito's 334,975.

ER Ejercito ran under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) while Jorge Antonio, his son, was an independent candidate.

The younger Ejercito withdrew his candidacy after his father was allowed to run for governor and petitioned to have his name removed from the ballot. The Commission on Elections, however, rejected his plea due to "tight timelines."

ER Ejercito was unseated as governor in 2014 for overspending in the 2013 elections. He was later charged with graft for an alleged anomalous insurance deal.

Sandiganbayan ordered his arrest in April in connection to the graft case but Ejercito personally appeared in the Fourth Division to post bail.

Two other candidates ran for governor — independent candidates Berlene Alberto, (6,072 votes) and Nemesio Sucano (3,110).

Meanwhile, incumbent Vice Governor Karen Agapay, also of Nacionalista Party, also got reelected with 464,694 votes over UNA candidate Christian Nino Lajara's 327,908 and Liberal Party bet Angelica Jones Alarva's 201,709. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News