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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Mindanao devider Mendoza tops Piñol in Cotabato

Mendoza tops Piñol in Cotabato

Published May 13, 2025 02:25 pm
DAVAO CITY – Reelectionist Cotabato Gov. Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza defeated long-time political rival Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol for the third time in last Monday’s elections.
As of 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, partial and unofficial results showed that Mendoza earning 346, 695 votes with Piñol getting 199,907 based on transmitted elections returns from 903 of 1,073 clustered precincts or a difference of 146,788 votes.
MENDOZA
Mendoza won in all 17 municipalities but lost to her rival's bailiwick in Kidapawan City.
She also walloped Piñol in her hometown Carmen with 26,083 votes against 127.
In the neighboring rice-granary town of Kabacan, Mendoza garnered 24,931 votes while Piñol earned 4,675.
Mendoza also beat Piñol, a former Agriculture chief in the Duterte administration, in his hometown of M’lang, (29,056 to 16,502).
Piñol lost to Mendoza in the Muslim-dominated town of Pikit with just 4,853 votes compared to Mendoza’s 21,610.
This was the third time that Mendoza and Piñol faced off for governor.
In 2010, Mendoza defeated Piñol, 236,966 votes to 199,332.
Three years later, Piñol challenged Mendoza anew but lost again. Mendoza garnered 254,121 votes over Piñol's 203,657 or a difference of 50,464.
In both elections, Piñol accused Mendoza of vote-buying.
But Mendoza denied the accusation, saying that her performance proved her worth to lead Cotabato.
Mendoza completed her three terms as governor from 2010 to 2019.
She ran as vice governor of her father Rogelio Taliño who challenged then second district Rep. Nancy Catamco for governor in the 2019 elections.
Rogelio lost to Catamco, 272, 249 votes to 268,718.
In the 2022 elections, Mendoza challenged Catamco for governor and won, 310, 681 votes to 296, 330 or a difference of 14, 351.
Piñol questioned the wide margin of Mendoza in the partial and unofficial results.
“This number is totally incongruous with the public surveys which showed me consistently leading my opponent and the huge disparity in the number of people drawn to our public rallies,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “While losing in a political contest is a reality that a candidate must face, the margin was so huge that it is no longer believable.”
He added that he will file a petition for a manual count especially in towns where pre-election surveys showed he was well-ahead.
With the reelection of Mendoza, she is set to become the longest serving governor in the history of the province.
She is set to break the record of Carlos Cajelo, who served as appointed governor of the province from 1972 to 1984 during the Martial Law era.
Mendoza rose from the ranks, starting as a Sangguniang Kabataan official in her hometown of Carmen in 1993.
Two years later, she was elected as board member of the province's first district.
She was voted Cotabato first district representative in 2001 and completed three terms until 2010. Mendoza is the third woman governor to lead Cotabato province.

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Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza
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