Unseated Iloilo mayor refuses to step down

ILOILO, Philippines – A town mayor here refused to step down from his position although he lost to his rival in an election case, triggering calls for him to respect the rule of law.

“I’m still the mayor of Calinog,” Mayor Salvador Divinagracia declared yesterday, a day after lawyer Elizabeth Doronila, provincial election supervisor, served to him a writ of execution and Alex Centena was sworn into office as the new local chief executive.

“On Monday, I will still be reporting to my office. I intend to exercise my functions as the mayor,” he told The STAR in a phone interview.

Divinagracia said he would not hesitate to stop Centena from entering the town hall if the latter attempts to exercise mayoral functions.

Police are monitoring the developments in Calinog town, deploying lawmen around the municipal building to prevent any violence.

Divinagracia argued that the writ orders him to stop exercising the functions of the vice mayor’s office. 

“I cannot comply with the writ of execution because I am no longer occupying the position of vice mayor,” said Divinagracia, who succeeded Mayor Teodoro Lao who died while the election case filed by Centena was pending before the regional trial court.

Divinagracia brushed aside Centena’s swearing-in.

“He can do what he wants to do, he can even take his oath before the devil for all I care,” he said.

Divinagracia said he does not recognize the legality of the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the corresponding writ of execution, calling it “highly irregular.” He has elevated the Comelec ruling to the Supreme Court.

Centena, for his part, called on Divinagracia to respect the law.

“Let us follow the rule of law. I’m the legal mayor,” he said in a text message.

Centena said the Department of Interior and Local Government recognizes him as the lawful mayor of Calinog town.

With this, he said, “I can hold office anywhere because Divinagracia refuses to vacate the premises of the town hall.”

Centena said he would inform the municipal employees at the start of the week of his assumption of the mayoral post.

Divinagracia and Centena faced off for vice mayor in the 2007 elections. Divinagracia was proclaimed, although Centena filed an electoral contest.

In a decision last Jan. 26, the Comelec, however, ruled that Centena won over Divinagracia by 11 votes.

On Friday morning, Divinagracia and his supporters barricaded the town hall to prevent Centena from taking over. – Ronilo Ladrido Pamonag, Jaime Laude