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Saturday, September 18, 2004
Alfie Ouano wins in PCL elections
By Minerva B. Gerodias
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
With Jeanette P. Malinao & Aledel G. Cuizon
IT WAS a long wait into the night for the rts of the Philippine Councilors’ League elections in Cebu, but incumbent president Michael Miranda of Medellin already conceded to Alfred “Alfie” Ouano of Consolacion.
As of 11:30 last night, Ouano came out the winner as he got 353 votes while Miranda earned 170 out of a total 523.
The lopsided victory belied the heated race, with allegations of payoffs and a ban on media as the voting was just about to start.
Out of 530 city and town councilors in Cebu Province, only sevennot cast their ballots.
“I already knew that I will lose from the number of councilors who attended the dinner party at Capitol last Thursday night. Most of my votes came from my district (fourth) and the third district,” Miranda said.
It was a tough fight for Miranda who faced a challenger supported by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who showed up at the election venue at the Grand Convention Center.
Ouano, on his win that will make him an ex-officio member of the Provincial Board, said he will be open to all councilors and he will make himself available to them.
Miranda had the support of former congressman Celestino Martinez Jr., Garcia’s closest rival in the May elections.
Last night, Garcia and Martinez met for the first time after the governor was proclaimed winner. Garcia greeted Martinez first at the lobby of the convention center. Martinez congratulated her return. They shook hands.
“I took it as an expression of good-natured sportsmanship,” Garcia said.
Earlier in the day, PCL interim national president Carlo Fortuna was “very surprised” to see blue guards at the election venue. He found it “unusual.”
Miranda, the conve-nor of yesterday’s activity, explained that there was no media ban. His instruction was not to allow “non-councilors” inside the venue because of the large number of people inside.
As for the blue guards, Miranda said no PCL funds were disbursed for them; he only wanted to secure the councilors.
The uniformed private guards prevented reporters from going inside the ballroom of the Grand Convention Center.
For his part, Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano said he received reports about councilors who were approached in the restrooms and offered P15,000 to P20,000 for them not to vote.
He said the money was intended to persuade councilors to just go home. He refused to give names.
This prompted Thadeo, father of Alfie, to ask Fortuna to start the election right away.
Medellin Vice Mayor Ricky Ramirez, spokesman of Miranda, shrugged off the allegations.
“They are employing all unsavory tricks of the trade,” he said, adding the Ouano camp enjoyed “numerical superiority.”
The Ouano indeed mustered most of the votes, which were counted starting about 7 last night, two hours after the voting ended.
The councilors picked the PCL president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, auditor, PRO, business manager and eight board of directors.
However, votes for the top two positions and business manager were the only ones counted as both Miranda and Ouano had the same lineup for the other positions.
(September 18, 2004 issue)
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