KABANKALAN City Councilor Valentino Miguel Alonso was elected president of the Philippine Councilors’ League (PCL)-Negros Occidental Chapter during the election held August 24 at the Bacolod Pavillon Hotel.
Garnering 149 votes, Alonso, a first termer who belongs to the United Negros Alliance (Unega), defeated Victorias City Councilor Vincent Marie Roa, a third-termer from Love Negros, who got 142 votes.
“Let’s move forward to make a better PCL. Let’s start the ball rolling by meeting in small clusters. I want a more visible, a more consultative PCL that will be able to touch base with small groups in the localities,” Alonso said.
He added that he wants to put an “online aspect” to his initiatives to “allow councilors to share information with each other so that legislative action could be better.”
Alonso was chosen to represent Unega, chaired by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., after the party’s first choice, Sagay City Councilor Miller Serondo, exited from the race due to medical reasons.
Roa accepted his fate, saying: “We don’t have any reason why we won’t accept the mandate of majority. Even if (the outcome) is not favorable (to me), we should respect the decision of the majority. It was a good game for both of us.”
Roa served as interim president after he succeeded Raul Rivera who was elected vice mayor of Kabankalan City in the May 9 elections.
Ma. Joy Maredith Madayag, provincial head of Department of the Interior and Local Government, said that Alonso can already assume his post as ex-officio member of the Provincial Board next week.
Elected vice president was Marcos Escalante of Manapla after he garnered 175 votes against the 115 of Himamaylan City’s Janet Villafranca.
For secretary-general, Aurelia Garita of Pontevedra II won by one vote against La Castellana’s Leonardo Bacquian – 132 votes against the latter’s 131.
A toss coin decided the winner for treasurer after Zenia Astorga of Talisay City and E.B. Magalona’s Jovie Madayag tied with 137 votes. Astorga ended up as the winner.
Josephus Valencia of Toboso won as auditor; Rey Cordova of Ilog, public relations officer; and Wilfredo Cervantes of Cadiz City was unopposed for business manager.
The eight-man board of directors included Julie Ann Vasquez of Himamaylan City, Karen Aguirre of La Carlota City, Sixto Guanzon of Cadiz City, Michael Garcia of Moises Padilla, Aileen Javier of Silay City, Audie Malaga of Victorias City, Edmundo Celiz of Talisay City, and Agustin Desuyo of Cadiz City.