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By LITO RULONA
and SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
Correspondents .

THE man who put an end to the Emano political dynasty in Tagoloan town in Misamis Oriental has attributed his election victory last week to a supernatural force that he claims willed him to win.

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Tagoloan Mayor-elect Gomer “Enan” Sabio of the National Unity Party (NUP) said it was “prophesied” by a preacher that he would defeat reelectionist Mayor Heckert Hernando Jude “Manok” Emano.

Emano, a first degree cousin of Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano, lost the mayoral post to Sabio by 855 votes. Sabio won with 16,816 votes over Emano’s 15,961 and independent mayoral candidate Serge Yap’s 782, ending the Emanos’ four-decade rule in Tagoloan.

It was Sabio’s second time to run against Emano but this time, he said, he had been assured victory by one Pastor Jo Pagote who supposedly “prophesied” that he would win this year.

Sabio said Pagote even posted on Facebook that he was certain of his victory.

He said Roman Catholic, Iglesia ni Cristo, Mormon and other religious groups also pledged to support his mayoral bid against Emano.

“Ako maka-claim nga I was declared nga midaug ako tungod sa gahum sa atong Ginoong Hesus. Si Pagote usa ka propeta sa Dios og apil ang katawhan sa lungsod sa Tagoloan mihatag gilayon sa ilang supporta,” Sabio said.

Sabio said it took time before his victory sank in because “dili tiaw, dili lalim ang akong gibati, dili sayon nga mapildi ang mga Emano kay grabe ang ilang pag reign sa Tagoloan.”

He added that he was thankful to God. “Walay lain pasalamatan sa tanan, ang Ginoo, siya ang gahatag sa posisyon kanako.”

Meanwhile, Sabio promised to give his salary to townsfolk. He said his estimated P120-thousand monthly salary would be divided and distributed to barangays as aid to people.

He said he has done that when he was barangay chairman of Natumolan for nine years. His salary as barangay chairman, he said, was set aside as emergency and livelihood funds.

First in his agenda, according to Sabio, is the problematic water system of the town.

“Mao kini ang numero una nga problema sa taga-Tagoloan,” he said.

Sabio said the town’s water problem was among the reasons why townsfolk voted him to office because they saw that he has the will to deliver potable water to every barangay.

He said addressing the town’s water problems is the first thing he would do.

But Sabio said the solution would not come overnight. “Sa pagkakaron magpadayon sa ta ug deliver ug tubig sa matag barangay dinhi samtang makakuha pata ug tubig sa Villanueva.”

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