2011 special election at Cagayan's 2nd congressional district
March 12, 2011
Cagayan's 2nd congressional district
 
Candidate Baby Aline Vargas-Alfonso Edgar Lara
Party Lakas–Kampi Liberal
Popular vote 69,461 26,582
Percentage 73.62 27.68
Representative before election

Florencio Vargas
Lakas–Kampi

 Representative-elect

Baby Aline Vargas-Alfonso
Lakas–Kampi

A special election for Cagayan's 2nd district seat in the House of Representatives of the Philippines was held on March 12, 2011. The special election was called after the incumbent representative, Florencio Vargas died in July 2010. Vargas' daughter, Baby Aline Vargas-Alfonso, was elected after beating former Cagayan Governor Edgar Lara, Vargas' opponent in the 2010 election. Alfonso would then serve the remainder of her father's term which ended in 2013.

Electoral system

Each congressional district of the Philippines sends one representative to the House of Representatives. An election to the seat is via first-past-the-post, in which the candidate with the most votes, whether or not one has a majority, wins the seat. Based on Republic Act (RA) No. 6645, in order for a special election to take place, the seat must be vacated, the relevant chamber notifies the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) the existence of a vacancy, then the COMELEC schedules the special election. There is a dispute in the procedure as a subsequent law, RA No. 7166, supposedly amended the procedure, bypassing the need for official communication from the relevant chamber of the vacancy. The COMELEC has always waited on official communication from the relevant chamber before scheduling a special election.[1]

Meanwhile, according to RA No. 8295, should only one candidate file to run in the special election, the COMELEC will declare that candidate as the winner and will no longer hold the election.[2]

Background

Incumbent representative Florencio Vargas of Lakas-Kampi-CMD won the general election on May 10, 2010. His term began on June 30, but he died on July 22, a few days before the 15th Congress convened.[3] The two other congressmen from Cagayan, Jack Enrile and Randolph Ting, then filed a resolution declaring Vargas' seat vacant paving way for a special election. Defeated candidate and former governor Edgar Lara had previously expressed interest in participating if a special election was called, and also said that he expects any member of the Vargas family to run as well.[4] On December 13, Enrile Jr. was designated by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. as the caretaker of the 2nd district pending the approval of a special election.[5]

The Commission on Elections has set the election on March 12, 2011, Saturday. The period for the filing of certificates of candidacy will be from February 21 to 25, and the campaign period will be from February 26 to March 10. Unlike the general election, the special election will be conducted manually.[6]

Campaign

Only two candidates ran. Lara, formerly of the Nationalist People's Coalition, was the ruling Liberal Party's nominee for the special election, while Vargas' daughter, Abulug vice mayor Baby Aline Vargas-Alfonso, was his opponent.[7]

President Aquino and the ruling Liberal Party supported Lara's candidacy, while Cagayan governor Alvaro Antonio and 1st district representative Jack Enrile's Team Cagayan coalition supported Alfonso, the daughter of the late representative. Alfonso is running under the Lakas Kampi CMD banner.[8]

Results

2011 Philippine House of Representatives special election at Cagayan's 2nd district[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lakas–Kampi Baby Aline Vargas-Alfonso 69,461 72.32 −0.89
Liberal Edgar Lara 26,582 27.68 +3.41
Turnout 96,043 62.09 −18.89
Margin of victory 42,879 44.65 −4.29
Lakas–Kampi hold Swing 1.26

Alfonso was declared the winner after the Commission on Elections finished canvassing in ten of the twelve municipalities in the district. The low turnout was blamed on residents residing outside the district not returning to their homes during the weekend, and the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in which voters were discouraged from casting their votes when residents from the coastal towns of the district evacuated due to a tsunami alert and only returned morning of election day.[10]

Alfonso was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives on March 16, raising its membership to 284, the largest in its history.[11]

2010 election result

Philippine House of Representatives election at Cagayan's 2nd district
Party Candidate Votes %
Lakas–Kampi Florencio Vargas 85,376 73.21
NPC Edgar Lara 28,303 24.27
Aksyon Lydia Ramos 2,938 2.52
Valid ballots 116,617 93.10
Invalid or blank votes 8,646 6.90
Total votes 125,263 100.00
Lakas–Kampi hold

References

  1. ↑ Leon, Marguerite de (2022-10-30). "[OPINION] The special election of the 7th District of Cavite: A welcome development". RAPPLER. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  2. ↑ "EXPLAINER. House Speaker Velasco might pick a caretaker for Raul del Mar's seat. Plague and cost-saving, for government and candidates, may be cited against special election". SUNSTAR. 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  3. ↑ Ribaya, Rio Rose (2010-07-23). "Cagayan Rep. Florencio Vargas, 78". The Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  4. ↑ Boehnert, Ted (2010-09-14). "Solons seek special polls for vacant congressional seat in Cagayan". The Daily Tribune. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  5. ↑ Romero, Paolo (2010-12-13). "Enrile Jr. named 'caretaker' of Cagayan second district". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  6. ↑ "DZIQ: Special elections for Cagayan's 2nd District set on March 12". INQUIRER.net. 2011-01-06. Archived from the original on 2011-09-17. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
  7. ↑ Lagasca, Charlie (2011-02-15). "Nueva Vizcaya first gun ban violator nabbed". Retrieved 2011-03-03.
  8. ↑ Lagasca, Charlie (2011-03-12). "All's set for Cagayan special poll today". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
  9. ↑ Baccay, Oliver (2011-03-13). "Alfonso-Vargas proclaimed newly elected rep of 2nd district of Cagayan". Philippine Information Agency. Retrieved 2011-03-13.
  10. ↑ Visaya, Villamor Jr. (2011-03-13). "Daughter elected to serve term left by late Cagayan solon". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2011-03-13.
  11. ↑ "Daughter replaces deceased father as Cagayan rep". GMANews.TV. 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-03-17.
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