WITH a total vote tally of 150,555 as against his gubernatorial rival former Governor Rodolfo C. Fariñas’ 86,849, Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Michael M. Keon was proclaimed the new governor of Ilocos Norte. Keon immediately expressed his gratitude to the voting public for giving him the chance to serve and prove his worth in the top post of the province. Keon also appealed to his constituents to observe him for the meantime as he will be studying carefully the organizational set-up of the provincial government for him to start his own leadership style and keep Ilocos Norte moving towards economic progress. “There are many things hat have to be done. There are certain things that needs to be done at the Capitol. But I need to study that very carefully,” Keon said. “Just watch me once I sit in the Capitol,” Keon added as he also stressed that whatever political controversy that transpired between him and Fariñas now needs to be put to rest and they resume as friends again. “The election is finished. I would prefer to just leave things as they are,” Keon said as he mentioned that he will be taking a few weeks’ holiday for him to study everything and get back to work before June 30, 2007. “I’m already feeling the expectations of people towards me. I’m just asking everyone to be patient muna because medyo pagod ako. You know it was a very tough campaign and it somehow affected my health. So I will go away and rest for awhile so by the time I return before June 30, I will be prepared to take on the responsibility as governor of Ilocos Norte,” Keon said. He also said that he would adhere to his campaign platform on health, agriculture, education and tourism as his top priorities as he would like to sit down with the Ilocos Norte mayors, including barangay officials, to personally identify their priority programs and problems, and hopefully to address them one by one through a systematic and orderly implementation of a master plan that suits the need of a particular locality. Popularly known for his major contribution in sports, not only locally but also in the whole country, Keon said sports development would always be his “baby” though he admitted that there are more essential things that have to be done. “Sports is my greatest passion but sport is important but not a priority now. There are much more important things to deal with like upgrading the health services, improve services at the Capitol. I want to reach out to the barangays and to the grassroots levels, on agriculture and of course, tourism,” he noted. When asked by local reporters if he would follow in the footsteps of his cousin, outgoing Governor Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who was labeled as an “absentee” governor by critics, Keon pointed out his track record in sports which shows his strong work ethics. “I work very hard. But I don’t have to tell you anything for the mean time. Just watch me as I sit in the Capitol. That’s all I can say,” Keon said. Meanwhile, re-electionist Rep. Roque R. Ablan Jr. (1st district, Ilocos Norte) was proclaimed winner of the congressional election as he barely defeated the strong challenge of former Pagudpud Mayor Reynolan Sales. Ablan garnered a total of 58,292 votes against Sales’ 56,072 votes. In the province’s second district, Marcos, who ran unopposed, garnered a total of 102,295 votes as he was proclaimed the province’s second district representative. Leilanie G. Adriano
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