Compostela election impasse ‘to be resolved’ on Monday

COMPOSTELA town may finally have duly elected officials this Monday, when the Municipal Board of Canvassers (MBOC) convenes and holds the canvassing of election returns from 15 contested clustered precincts.

Rightful winners of the May 2010 elections will be declared immediately after the canvassing, said mayoral candidate Joel Quiño.

Quiño said that pursuant to the order of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc dated Dec. 7, 2011, a new MBOC was formed to convene and canvass the election returns, and proclaim the rightful winners.

The MBOC will convene at 9 a.m. on Feb. 27, a Monday, at the Comelec session hall in the Palacio del Governador Bldg. in Intramuros, Manila.

It was a long wait for the constituents of Compostela, which has been under a caretaker government since 2010.

In May 2010, election challenger Quiño prevailed against the incumbent mayor Ritchie Wagas, but the latter filed an election protest.

The Comelec en banc affirmed the Second Division’s decision to annul Quiño’s proclamation, as they found basis in the allegation of Wagas that the results from 15 clustered precincts were not transmitted and were left out of the final canvass of
votes.

Meanwhile, the Comelec has ended its verification of signatures in connection with the recall petition against Danao City Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano Jr. at 4:15 p.m. last
Tuesday.

Comelec Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said that when the verification of signatures ended, there were some 17,000 signatures in the recall petition that were verified and found to be similar with the signatures in the list of voters with voting records.

However, Catillano said the camp of Mayor Boy objected to some 12,000 signatures.

According to the election supervisor, there are 29,000 signatories in the recall petition against Mayor Boy which was filed by his brother, Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III and City Councilors Jorge John Cane, Alejandro Lawas, Jose Thaddeus Roble, Miguel Antonio Magpale, Ramonette Durano Mahinay, Dr. Cynthia Duterte, Juvelina Enriquez, Marilou Camaongay Flores, Roland Reyes and Carmen Remedios Durano Meca.

Catillano said City Election Officer Dominic Ian Marigomen will report on the result of the verification of signatures to the Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Operations, which will then forward this to the Comelec en banc for approval or disapproval.