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BORONGAN CITY–IN a major electoral upset, Christopher “Sheen” Gonzales, son-in-law of House Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan, has unseated incumbent Rep. Maria Fe Abunda in the race for Eastern Samar’s lone congressional seat.
Gonzales, the former Eastern Samar vice governor and mayor of Guiuan, clinched victory with a commanding lead of 177,413 votes over Abunda’s 106,781, as officially proclaimed Tuesday, May 13, by the provincial board of canvassers.
Maria Fe Abunda, sister of renowned television host Boy Abunda, was seeking a third and final term. Her brother was a visible presence throughout the campaign, personally rallying support for her across the province.
Gonzales is married to Libanan’s daughter, Eloisa. The congressional seat he won was previously held by Libanan for nine consecutive years.
Gonzales’ victory was bolstered by widespread local support, including the backing of 19 out of Eastern Samar’s 22 incumbent mayors, who signed a public manifesto endorsing his candidacy.
Libanan grateful for 1.5 million votes for 4Ps
Meanwhile, Minority Leader Libanan is poised to begin his second term as the representative of the 4Ps party-list after the group secured nearly 1.5 million votes in Monday’s midterm elections.
“This vote of confidence from the Filipino people is a clear affirmation of the work we have done – and a powerful motivation for us to work even harder to improve lives,” Libanan said in a statement.
The 4Ps party-list garnered the fourth-highest number of votes nationwide, trailing only behind Akbayan, Duterte Youth, and Tingog.
The group’s 1.5 million votes marked a significant increase of 650,000 votes from its 2022 tally.