Janice Degamo wins Negros Oriental's 3rd District congressional race

Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo has been declared the winner in Negros Oriental's 3rd District congressional race based on partial, unofficial results as of May 14.

Degamo secured a significant victory with 125,738 votes ahead of her opponents Reynaldo Lopez and Janice Teves, who received 25,310 and 63,923 votes respectively.

Janice Degamo is the widow of murdered governor Roel Degamo and ran under Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD). Her opponent Janice Teves represents the Liberal Party while Lopez was an independent candidate.

The win marks a turning point in the 3rd District, which was previously held by Arnolfo Teves Jr., who has been labeled a 'terrorist' and is accused of orchestrating the Pamplona massacre that killed at least ten people in March 2023.

Arnolfo Teves lost his seat on August 16, 2023, when the House of Representatives removed him from office, with Speaker Martin Romualdez serving as caretaker since then. In a Facebook post Tuesday following her proclamation, Degamo thanked supporters for their votes and said they would never live in fear again.