The Commission on Elections on Wednesday proclaimed Philippine Constitution Association president Martin Romualdez as the winning candidate in the first congressional district of Leyte.
Juan Bautista Beato, chairman of the Comelec provincial board of canvasser, declared Romualdez the winner after obtaining 157,382 votes.
Meanwhile, the Tingog Party-list is expected to get its first seat in the 18th Congress while its rival, An Waray, is poised to fail in getting two congressional seats in the May 13 midterm elections based on the partial and unofficial results on May 15.
READ: Romualdez victorious; Tingog seen clinching a seat
On its first attempt to win a seat in the 2016 national elections, Tingog was the 55th party-list among 115 other party-lists with 210,552 votes or 65 percent percent of the popular vote.
Unfazed by its first failure, Tingog was propelled to continue campaigning for regional development since the 2016 polls showed that Eastern Visayas was clamoring for more representation in Congress.
Romualdez, president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, won over his rival Lino Dumas who received 9,621 votes.
“I am honored by the overwhelming support extended to me. Once again, thank you very much," said Romualdez, a lawyer and former House Independent Bloc Leader of the 16th Congress.
Romualdez, a three-term Leyte congressman, is the husband of Leyte First District Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez, the first nominee of the Tingog Party-list group that is expected to secure one seat.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, chairman of the Hugpong Ng Pagbabago, has endorsed Romualdez to be the Speaker of the 18th Congress.
READ: Romualdez, Tingog thank Sara, voters for support
Romualdez earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and studied law at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
He holds a Certificate for Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
During his stint as congressman of his district in Leyte, he supported the massive investments in infrastructure that spurred progress and development.
He championed small businesses and industries in his district and the plight of the disadvantaged and vulnerable sectors of society, people with disability, senior citizens, the sickly and the poor.
One of his benchmark legislations during the 16th Congress was the passage of House Bill 1039, a law exempting people with disability from paying value-added tax on certain goods and services.
READ: Romualdez victorious; Tingog seen clinching a seat