Leaderless Compostela town

CEBU, Philippines -  For one and a half years now, Compostela town has had no elected officials after the Comelec suspended the proclamation of mayor-elect Joel Quiño and the town councilors who were elected in the last May 10, 2010 local and national elections.

The election protest filed by former mayor Ritchie Wagas remains unresolved by Comelec until now.

The people of Compostela are already furious with the fact that nobody is in charge to take care of their needs.

Residents complain that they cannot ask any help from the municipal government because nobody is there.

For them, the caretaker, Pedro Noval, regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-7 has limited functions to address the town’s problems.

Uncollected garbage, delayed payments for power for streetlights are just among the issues raised by residents because of the absence of a mayor, vice mayor, and councilors.

Compostela town employees have yet to receive the first tranche of their salary increase which took effect last January.

The second tranche that was supposed to be given next year might also be stalled because of the stalemate.

The problem in Compostela town started after the suspension of the proclamation of mayor-elect Joel Quiño, his vice mayor, and councilors last June 28, 2010 was handed by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, presiding commissioner of the Commission on Elections Second Division.

Ferrer granted the “Extremely Urgent Motion to Suspend the Effect of Proclamation” filed by Wagas.

The Comelec, however, clarified that the suspension does not mean that the proclamation of the winning candidates has been declared null and void, as the order only pertains to the urgent motion for suspension and not the Petition for Annulment of Proclamation that Wagas filed on May 21, 2010.

In his order, Ferrer said “We are not at this (sic) stages ready to grant petitioner Wagas prayer to declare the proclamation of the winning candidates in the town of Compostela, from the mayor down to the vice mayor and the eight municipal councilors as null and void.”

Former mayor Ritchie Wagas alleged that the errors and discrepancies in Compostela during the May elections cannot be used as basis for proclaiming the newly-elected candidates.

Wagas in filing the petition claimed that it was to avoid the danger that unelected officials will assume office.

Wagas alleged that the audit or print log of the consolidating machine of the Municipal Board of Canvassers (MBOC) did not reflect the Electronic Election Returns (EERs) in 14 clustered precincts or simply saying the results of these precincts were not transmitted.

People’s support

Quiño, his vice mayor and councilors, claiming having been given the mandate by the people, assumed their posts after taking their oath as elected officials on July 1, 2010.

First, Quiño, his vice mayor, and members of the municipal council insisted they were elected by the people and were already proclaimed as winners.

Although they were informed that there is an order handed by Ferrer, but due to the absence of the official copy order, Quiño, his vice mayor Antoinette Dangoy and members of the municipal council assumed office on the first day of July 2010.

Quiño delivered his inaugural message in front of the members of the Municipal Council which called its first inaugural session.

He even called a meeting with the different department head and sections heads and at the same time issued memorandums.

On this day, supporters of both Quiño and Wagas gathered in front of the municipal hall of Compostela after both camps claimed they are in control of the town.

They continued to hold rallies on opposite ends of the municipal hall.

When the Comelec order was served last July 1, 2010 to Quiño himself, he respected the order and decided to vacate the premises of the municipal hall.

Quiño through his lawyer filed a motion for reconsideration before the Comelec-central office.

After one year

For a year, Quiño waited for the day he would be allowed to assume office as mayor of Compostela.

Quiño accompanied by Dangoy and their councilors took over the municipal hall building, while hundreds of his supporters gathered in front of the building to protect him and his group.

Supporters of Quiño destroyed the padlock of the main door to allow him and his group to enter the building.

The takeover coincided with the first anniversary of the winning officials’ proclamation by the Comelec, a day after the May 10, 2010 elections. There was no protest at the time from the camp of Wagas.

Tension subsided after mayor-elect Quiño and his supporters voluntarily left the municipal hall more than 24 hours after they stormed the building to air their sentiments on the slow resolution of the election issues hounding the town.

Quiño, Dangoy and their councilors left the municipal building when they got assurance that their concerns will be tackled by higher authorities.

DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo was able to talk to Quiño via cellular phone and gave his assurance he will talk to the Comelec about the problem of the town.

Caretaker

Due to the absence of elected official, DILG-7 regional director Pedro Noval assumed as caretaker of the town based on the order of the DILG-Central Office.

He assumed office and took his oath before Governor Gwen Garcia who promised her support to the leadership of Noval.

Noval ran the municipality using limited resources and a reenacted budget.

But he got the ire of Cebu fifth district Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI who accused him of favoring a politician in the town.

Noval relinquished his post and was replaced by Jerome Gonzales, the acting provincial director of DILG-Cebu Province. But because of some pressure, Gonzales requested that he be replaced.

This time, Noval returned as caretaker of Compostela town.

When DILG-central office ordered the transfer of Noval to Region 8, he was replaced by DILG-7 regional director Ananias Mori Villacorta.

Re-canvassing of ballots

The Comelec en banc has granted the petition of Wagas to transfer the re-canvassing of ballots to Manila.

The Comelec order, signed by Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. and six commissioners, said transferring the vote re-canvassing to Manila “would certainly augment, if not guarantee, the attainment of neutral and credible counting” of the results of the May 10, 2010 elections.

Quiño made no objection to the petition for transfer.

“Considering that the enforcement or execution of the June 13, 2011 resolution has been pending and that the remaining term of office allotted to the duly elected officers of Compostela is already short, this commission frowns upon further delays in the canvassing of the votes subject of the resolution,” the Comelec en banc order read.

The order did not say though if the re-canvassing would cover all election returns or only those from precinct clusters that are under protest.

Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano, who received the en banc order Tuesday afternoon, said the Comelec will form a special Board of Canvassers, which will specify the scope of the recount.

He said he is waiting for another order to clarify the issue.

Castillano believes that since it will be re-canvassing, only election returns will be sent to Manila.

Quiño said they are waiting for the scheduled re-canvass.

The 14 precinct clusters covered by the protest have about 6,000 votes.

In his petition for the transfer, Wagas said that if held in Cebu, the recount would worsen the “brewing and fragile” situation in Compostela, citing the May 2011 incident when Quiño’s supporters tried to take over the town hall. — /CGG (FREEMAN)