Former senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. yesterday reiterated his proposal to create 12 federal states in the republic, during the first general assembly of the Vice Mayor's League of the Philippines – Negros Island Region yesterday at the Bacolod Pavillon Hotel in Bacolod City, where he was guest of honor and speaker. Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran was elected unopposed as the first regional chairman of the VMLP-NIR during the League's first regional general assembly, election and oath taking officiated by Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. Pimentel said this is a good event to celebrate. This is the first time where the vice mayors of Negros Occidental and Oriental come together as one, which is needed for the development of the entire NIR, he said. “Rather than acting separately, you are now trying to act as one for the good of your constituency which is the entire island of Negros,” he added. Pimentel said the 12 federal states will include five in Luzon – federal states of Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalong, Bicol and Cordillera. In the Visayas – federal states of Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Western Visayas and Mindoro-Palawan-Romblon and Masbate, and in Mindanao – federal states of Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao and Bangsamoro, he said. “The sooner we get the idea off the ground, the better. We must take advantage of the political capital being enjoyed by the President now,” Pimentel said. His original proposal did not include the creation of the federal state of NIR because it has not yet been created. But there is no problem with proposing its inclusion as a separate state, he said. Meanwhile, elected regional vice-chairman of the VMLP-NIR was Dumaguete Vice Mayor Franklin Esmeña Jr., Kabankalan City VM Raul Rivera – secretary general, San Carlos VM Renato Gustilo – treasurer, Sibulan VM Marcela Bartoces – auditor, and Sagay City VM Narciso Javelosa – public relations officer. Elected members of the Board were Victorias City VM Jerry Jover, Silay City VM Joedith Gallego, Mabinay VM Enozario Baldoza, Bayawan VM Ismael Martinez and Bacong VM Lenin Alviola. Familaran said this is historical on his part being elected as the first VMLP-NIR chairman. He thanked Murcia Vice Mayor Gerry Rojas, president of the VMLP-Negros Occidental Chapter, and Amlan Vice Mayor Bentham de la Cruz, president of the VMLP-Negros Oriental Chapter, for their support. He said the VMLP-NIR Chapter is composed of 25 vice mayors from Negros Oriental and 32 from Negros Occidental. Familiaran said he, together with Rojas and De la Cruz, will represent NIR in the VMLP national general assembly in October. On the other hand, Rojas said this is the first time they created the Vice Mayor's League for both provinces under the NIR. Rojas said the national assembly will be on the third week of October. The VMLP-Negros Occidental Chapter will conduct a medical mission in November which is being held quarterly. They also conduct feeding programs, he said. He has also proposed to De la Cruz combined or regional projects since they already belong to NIR.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO
0 Comments
The Commission on Elections First Division dismissed the election protest filed by defeated vice mayoralty candidate Vladimir Gonzalez against incumbent Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran for insufficiency in form and content. Gonzalez filed an election protest against Familiaran before the Comelec seeking a manual recount or audit of the ballots cast during the May 9 elections. He also claimed that he was deprived of the right to personally see how the appreciation, tabulation, and computation of the ballots cast in the clustered precincts took place. The order said Republic Act No. 9369 authorizes the Comelec to use an automated election system in the May 11 national and local elections…to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful, credible and informed elections. Contrary to the contention of Gonzalez, the purpose of the law and the rules had been observed and implemented by the commission, it said. “By opening the ballot boxes for recount, because of the general averments of alleged irregularities propounded by Gonzalez, the Commission opens the floodgates of frivolous and sham election protest bearing the same conjectures, conclusions and suppositions indicative of election fraud or anomalies as in the case at bar. We would be sanctioning fishing expeditions and baseless protests to prosper, thereby prolonging the resolution of conflicts during elections,” the order said. Instead of specifying the precincts where fraud and irregularities were committed and how these occurrence took place, Gonzelez raised general observations of the result of the election. He hopes to find proofs of his suppositions and observations through the manual recount, it said. The 10-page order dated Sept. 7 was signed by presiding commissioner Christian Robert Lim and commissioner Luie Tito Guia, while commissioner Ma. Rowena Guanzon inhibited from the case being a Negrense. Asked for his reaction, Familiaran said the complainant failed to convince the Comelec that there was indeed massive fraud. From the start he was confident that he will win the case because he did not cheat. They filed a motion for reconsideration which did not have new evidence to prove that there were discrepancies, he said. Gonzalez got 86,611 votes against El Cid Familiaran who got 108,360 votes. Meanwhile, Familiaran said former senator Mirriam Santiago was “a great loss not only to our nation but to Ilonggos.” “She was a one of a kind person and was brilliant, articulate and fearless,” he said.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Neg. Occ. Gov. Alfredo Marañon, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. (l-r) at the VMLP general assembly and election at the Bacolod Pavillon Hotel in Bacolod City yesterday*
( Andy Alvarez photo ) THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division dismissed the electoral protest filed by defeated Bacolod City vice mayoral candidate Vladimir Gonzales against incumbent Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran. The resolution, dated September 7, 2016, stated that the instant election protest is dismissed for insufficiency in form and content in accordance with Section 9, in relation to Section 7, Rule 6 of Comelec Resolution 8804 on Comelec Rules of Procedure on Disputes in an Automated Election System. The order was signed by Presiding Commissioner Christian Robert Lim and Commissioner Luie Tito Guia. Commissioner Ma. Rowena Amelia Guanzon inhibited from the case since she is from Negros Occidental. The 10-page decision added that the protestant claimed that he was deprived of personally seeing how the appreciation, tabulation, and computation of the ballots cast in the clustered precincts took place. Republic Act 9369, an Act Amending Republic Act 8436, affirms the authority of the Comelec to prescribe the adaptation and use of the most suitable technology of demonstrated capability taking into account the situation prevailing in the area and the funds available for the purpose to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful, credible and informed elections. The law authorized the use of an automated election system precisely for this purpose, it added. Defeated candidates of Pamilya Magbinuligay Kita Para sa Kauswagan (MKK) led by then mayor Monico Puentevella and Gonzales filed an electoral protest, with petition for manual recount, before the Comelec. The protestant also argued that the proclamation of the winners was made simply based on electronically-transmitted election results. The resolution stated that the election returns transmitted electronically and digitally signed shall be considered as official election results and shall be used as the basis for the canvassing of votes and the proclamation of the candidate. Gonzalez also propounded his observations in the voter turnout and number votes who actually voted through graphs, tables and illustrations. The resolution, however, stated that unusual and unexplained number of votes, high voter turnout, etc. are in themselves, not indicative or reflective of election fraud or irregularities. It is only when these are caused by specific election fraud, anomalies or irregularities that the same may be constitutive of manual recount. The observations cannot be considered as the acts required by the rules since there are valid explanation of these observations other than the dastardly alternative which protestant propounds, the resolution added. By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA BACOLOD City – The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) was allegedly courting Mayor Evelio Leonardia. Will his ally and 2016 election running mate Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran follow him if he decides to move to the ruling party? “Personally, I would prefer [staying] in LP (Liberal Party),” Familiaran said. Familiaran ran under the Leonardia-led local party Grupo Progreso (GP). Leonardia and Rep. Greg Gasataya, on the other hand, carried the banner of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC). Leonardia was rumored to be moving to President Rodrigo Duterte’s party after Secretary-General Yves Akol was seen at the former’s office on Sept. 19. Asked if he is jumping ship, Leonardia did not give a categorical answer. All the mayor said was that he will consult with the local NPC and GP members and that he already spoke with NPC president Giorgidi Aggabao and chairman Faustino Dy Jr. regarding the matter. Akol had said he was at the mayor’s office to “hand in” an application for membership. Familiaran, Leonardia and Gasataya have discussed this on Sept. 18 and had attended a “fellowship” with PDP-Laban at L’Fisher Hotel two weeks ago, the vice mayor disclosed. “I am just waiting for the decision of Leonardia, but personally I would prefer [staying] in LP,” Familiaran stressed. Belonging to a different party does not mean you cannot support the programs of the President, he said. Familiaran said they still have time to make up their minds since the new PDP-Laban members in Negros Occidental were scheduled to take oath on Oct. 1 yet./PN BY MAE SINGUAY BACOLOD City – Due to “insufficiency in form and content,” the election protest that defeated vice mayoral candidate Vladimir Gonzales filed against Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran was dismissed. Gonzales, running mate of defeated mayoral bet Monico Puentevella, filed the protest on May 20. He sought a manual recount/audit of the ballots cast in clustered precincts here during the May 9 elections. Familiaran got 108,360 votes, while Gonzales got only 86,611. Gonzales claimed he was deprived of the chance to see how the appreciation, tabulation and computation of the ballots took place. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division said the protest was not compliant with Section 9(b) in relation to Section 7, Rule 6 of Comelec Resolution No. 8804 (Comelec Rules of Procedure on Disputes in an Automated Election System). As the rule requires, the protest must contain the acts or omission constituting the alleged election fraud or irregularity, the division said in a ruling dated Sept. 7, 2016 and signed by Presiding Commissioner Robert Lim and Commissioner Luie Tito Guia. The division said it took in particular consideration the requirement stated in Section 7(g): “the presence of acts or omissions constituting the electoral fraud, anomalies or irregularities in the protested precincts; and that the protestant shows in the election protest a detailed account thereof.” “This requirement entails that the ultimate facts reflecting the reason for the filing of the election protest must be based on election fraud, anomalies and irregularities, and not mere conjectures, suppositions and suspicions,” read part of the ruling. “It must be stated in the protest that these acts or omissions constituting the election fraud actually happened and that there are no legal or valid justification on the same,” the ruling stated. Gonzales cannot be reached for comment as of this writing. Puentevella filed a similar protest against Mayor Evelio Leonardia, but the First Division also dismissed it in a ruling on Aug. 18, 2016 for the same reason. The former mayor appealed the ruling on Aug. 22./PN BY MAE SINGUAY Defeated vice mayoral candidate and businessman Vladimir Gonzalez yesterday stressed he is still weighing options whether to elevate his electoral protest case to higher court after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division dismissed his case. The case was dropped due to “insufficiency in form and content.” Last May, following the elections, Gonzalez sought a manual recount or audit of the ballots casted during the May 9 Elections where he received 86,611 votes against Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran’s 108,360 votes. Gonzalez claimed he was deprived the ability to see how the tabulation and computation of ballots took place. Based on the Comelec decision, signed by presiding Commissioner Robert Lim and Commissioner Luie Tito Guia, an election protest must contain acts or omissions constituting election fraud or irregularities./WDJ By Jerome S. Galunan, Jr. Former senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. yesterday reiterated his proposal to create 12 federal states in the republic, during the first general assembly of the Vice Mayor's League of the Philippines – Negros Island Region yesterday at the Bacolod Pavillon Hotel in Bacolod City, where he was guest of honor and speaker.
Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran was elected unopposed as the first regional chairman of the VMLP-NIR during the League's first regional general assembly, election and oath taking officiated by Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. Pimentel said this is a good event to celebrate. This is the first time where the vice mayors of Negros Occidental and Oriental come together as one, which is needed for the development of the entire NIR, he said. “Rather than acting separately, you are now trying to act as one for the good of your constituency which is the entire island of Negros,” he added. Pimentel said the 12 federal states will include five in Luzon – federal states of Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalong, Bicol and Cordillera. In the Visayas – federal states of Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Western Visayas and Mindoro-Palawan-Romblon and Masbate, and in Mindanao – federal states of Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao and Bangsamoro, he said. “The sooner we get the idea off the ground, the better. We must take advantage of the political capital being enjoyed by the President now,” Pimentel said. His original proposal did not include the creation of the federal state of NIR because it has not yet been created. But there is no problem with proposing its inclusion as a separate state, he said. Meanwhile, elected regional vice-chairman of the VMLP-NIR was Dumaguete Vice Mayor Franklin Esmeña Jr., Kabankalan City VM Raul Rivera – secretary general, San Carlos VM Renato Gustilo – treasurer, Sibulan VM Marcela Bartoces – auditor, and Sagay City VM Narciso Javelosa – public relations officer. Elected members of the Board were Victorias City VM Jerry Jover, Silay City VM Joedith Gallego, Mabinay VM Enozario Baldoza, Bayawan VM Ismael Martinez and Bacong VM Lenin Alviola. Familaran said this is historical on his part being elected as the first VMLP-NIR chairman. He thanked Murcia Vice Mayor Gerry Rojas, president of the VMLP-Negros Occidental Chapter, and Amlan Vice Mayor Bentham de la Cruz, president of the VMLP-Negros Oriental Chapter, for their support. He said the VMLP-NIR Chapter is composed of 25 vice mayors from Negros Oriental and 32 from Negros Occidental. Familiaran said he, together with Rojas and De la Cruz, will represent NIR in the VMLP national general assembly in October. On the other hand, Rojas said this is the first time they created the Vice Mayor's League for both provinces under the NIR. Rojas said the national assembly will be on the third week of October. The VMLP-Negros Occidental Chapter will conduct a medical mission in November which is being held quarterly. They also conduct feeding programs, he said. He has also proposed to De la Cruz combined or regional projects since they already belong to NIR.*CGS Neg. Occ. Gov. Alfredo Marañon, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. (l-r) at the VMLP general assembly and election at the Bacolod Pavillon Hotel in Bacolod City yesterday* ( Andy Alvarez photo )
Due to insufficient form and content, the First Division of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has dismissed the protest case filed by defeated candidate Vladimir Gonzales against Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran. The decision was penned in September 7, 2016 by Christian Robert Lim, presiding commissioner; and Commissioners Luie Tito Chua and Ma. Rowena Amelia Guanzon. The election protest was filed by Gonzales on May 20, 2016 in relation to Section 7, Rule 6 of COMELEC Resolution Number 8804, known as the Rules of Procedure on disputes in an automated election system. In the protest, Gonzales alleged that he was deprived personally seeing how the appreciation, tabulation and computation of the ballots cast in the clustered precincts took place. The Commission stated that it allows official watchers of candidates, political parties and other groups during the canvassing of votes. Also stated in the 10-page decision, the protestant Gonzales did not allege in the election protest any specific act or omission that runs contrary to law on automated election system. Other basis of dismissal of the protest are: the petition was filed beyond the period prescribed in the rules; the filing fee is not paid within the period for filing the election protest or petition for quo warranto, and the cash deposit required is not paid within fifteen days for the filing of the protest. Also, the protest shall state a detailed specification of the acts or omissions complained of showing the electoral frauds, anomalies, or irregularities in the protested precincts. Further, instead of specifying the precincts where fraud and irregularities were committed and how these occurrences took place, the protestant Gonzales raised general observations of the results in the elections. Thus, the Commission’s First Division finds the instant election protest to be insufficient in form and content, and must be summarily Dismissed in accordance with Section 9, in relation to Section 7, Rule 6 of the COMELEC Resolution No. 8804. Both Gonzales and Familiaran were beyond reach for comment as of this writing.* Submitted by Edith Colmo |
Archives
September 2020
Categories
All
|