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Namfrel’s final tally shows San Pedro new Munti mayor

By Ben Gines Jr.

05/17/2007

Incumbent Vice Mayor Aldrin San Pedro is now Muntinlupa City’s new mayor, beating his rival by more than 12,000 votes, according to the final tally of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) in Muntinlupa.

Based on the final Namfrel tally, San Pedro garnered 73,048 votes as against “Tita” Lor Fresnedi’s 60,821 or a difference of 12,227 votes. Fresnedi is the wife of Mayor Jaime Fresnedi.

According to Lito Pedrosa, Namfrel-Muntinlupa chairman, said the final vote was tallied around 1:30 p.m. on May 15, or a day after the elections.

San Pedro thanked Muntinlupa residents and different groups and organizations for supporting his candidacy, saying he will work hard to provide more services to them.

‘’I owe this to the people of Muntinlupa. I assure them that my agenda will be pro-people and they can expect more services under my administration,’’ he said.

San Pedro has been very lucky all throughout his political career, winning in all elections. He was first elected as chairman of the Sangguniang Kabataan.

In 1995, at age 20, he was appointed by President Fidel Ramos as municipal councilor. In the same year, he won in the local elections, becoming the youngest city councilor in the country at age 21.

He was reelected as councilor in 1998 and 2001, getting the highest number of votes among all councilors in Muntinlupa. In 2004, San Pedro ran for vice mayor and won.

Meanwhile, Team Fresnedi mayoralty candidate ‘’Tita’’ Lor Fresnedi (Lakas-CMD) yesterday denied reports she had conceded defeat to oppositionist Aldrin San Pedro (PMP-UNO) in light of the ongoing canvassing in Muntinlupa City.

‘’I am not conceding and I have not conceded to anybody. We — the whole Team Fresnedi — are not conceding,’’ she said in an interview from her home in Barangay Tunasan.

Mrs. Fresnedi denied reports circulating via SMS that she had conceded to San Pedro. Unofficial quick counts showed a close race between the two administration and opposition bets.

Canvassing is currently ongoing in the city, with partial results yet to be posted by the City Board of Canvassers. A partial tally was expected to be released around 10 p.m. yesterday (May 16).

Team Fresnedi is bannered by Mrs. Fresnedi. She is joined by vice mayoralty hopeful Temy Simundac and congressional bet Dong Puno.