Vargas says victory in QC a win vs ‘fake news campaign’
A voter shades the circle of her chosen candidates in this file photo. Comelec file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Incumbent Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas has considered his successful reelection as a victory against a “fake news campaign”, claiming that voters picked service and track record over rumors.
Vargas in a statement on Wednesday said that he was proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) city board of canvassers as the winner of the congressional race in the fifth district, after getting 102,648 votes — edging his closest competitor, businesswoman Rose Nono Lin.
Lin got 91,622 votes according to the partial and unofficial tally from Comelec’s transparency servers.
“The fake news campaign didn’t work. In the end, truth and service prevailed,” Vargas said in Filipino.
According to Vargas, his victory also signals triumph for every Novaliches resident who seeks a better future.
Vargas did not mention who or what “fake news campaign” he was referring to, but the local campaign in the firth district has been a bitter fight between his and Lin’s camp.
Last April 15, Lin called on candidates to focus discussions on issues as tensions rose even among their supporters, noting that insulting people will not solve the problems of their constituents.
“I encourage everyone to keep discussions focused on addressing the real needs of our district,” Lin said.
“Insulting and belittling others does nothing to solve the real issues in our district,” she added in Filipino.
The businesswoman was referring to a recent incident caught on a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera showing alleged Vargas supporters removing Lin’s campaign posters in a residential area of Barangay San Bartolome.
READ: QC House bet calls for issues-based discussions amid tensions
Videos posted on social media showed that barangay officials intervened after a quarrel from leaders of both camps, due to the removal of Lin’s posters.
Prior to this, entertainment commentator and talent manager Ogie Diaz expressed shock over a video showing Rep. Vargas’ brother, actor-politician Alfred Vargas, allegedly mocking the physical appearances of their political rivals.
In the video, Alfred joked that he and his brother prefer good-looking candidates, while they referred to their political opponents as looking like drug addicts.
“Congressman PM and I, when we choose, we pick the beautiful and handsome ones. Because if you look at the leaders our opponents get, they look like addicts.,” Vargas said in Filipino.
Lin on the other hand was labeled by Vargas as an “habitual liar” after Lin supposedly claimed in previous congressional hearings that she met Lin Weixiong or Allan Lin, her husband, in 2009.
Vargas asked how this happened when Lin’s daughter posted her birth certificate on social media, showing that she was born in 2004. The daughter’s birth certificate shows Rose Nono Lin’s maiden name, while Lin Weixiong was identified as the child’s father.
Rose Nono Lin had been dragged into several controversies in the past, particularly in the supposedly overpriced purchase of protective gear during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lin was a stakeholder of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp, but many senators from the 18th Congress believed she was just a dummy of her husband.
READ: Pharmally exec lied about ties to Lin Weixiong, birth record shows – solon
Rep. Vargas said he and his brother Alfred — who also won a seat in the city council — were elected due to the people’s trust which was developed through public service over the years.
“The Vargas family’s continued presence in local politics underscores their strong influence and the trust they have built with their constituents over the years,” Vargas said. /jpv
