Comelec holds verification of signatures for recall poll

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

THE verification of signatures and thumb marks for the recall election of Danao City Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano Jr. proceeded yesterday amid threats by defense counsel Gloria Lastimosa Dalawampu that she will file charges against City Election Officer Dominic Ian Marigomen.

Only the representatives of Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III and the city councilors were present. Mayor Boy does not have representatives in the verification proceedings.

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Comelec Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said it’s not good to file charges against Marigomen because he is just following the memorandum of the Office of the Deputy Election Director for Operations (Odedo) dated last Jan. 30.

The Odedo also based its memorandum on the resolution of the Comelec en banc upholding the petition to recall Mayor Boy.

Marigomen scheduled the verification from Feb. 13 to 22 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Castillano said the verification center, which is the city Comelec office, opened at 8 a.m. yesterday. It was manned by five committees headed by the following: committee 1, lawyer Enerio Ocariza Jr.; committee 2, lawyer Ferdinand Gujilde; committee 3, Emmauel Uy; committee 4, Alex Villacrucis; and committee 5, Ferdinand Hortelano.

Castillano said there are 29,000 signatures and thumb marks in the petition for recall against Mayor Boy docketed by the Comelec as P.R.C. 11-004.

But he said that under the rules, only 12,700 signatures are needed. This means that if they will finish verifying 12,700 plus signatures and thumb marks that will match the signatures and thumb marks in the list of voters with voting records, the verification proceedings may be stopped.

Castillano said that while the verification period is set from Feb. 13 to 22, or within nine days, it can be terminated before Feb. 22, or less than nine days, if 12,700 plus signatures or the 29,000 signatures of the petitioners are verified.

After the verification, Marigomen will submit a report to Odedo, who will endorse it to the Comelec en banc. The Comelec en banc will set the election for Danao City mayor.

Dalawampu has filed a manifestation with motion to set aside the verification proceedings because she and Mayor Boy have yet to receive a copy of any order or resolution by the Supreme Court in connection with the motion for certiorari they filed last Dec. 29.