TIGHT ROPEWITH MODESTO P. SA-ONOY
With almost all results in, it is time for congratulations for the winners and to those who did not make it our wish for something better to emerge from this defeat. Leading the list is Sagay City Mayor Freddie Marañon who won the governor’s post. Running mate Cong. Genaro Alvarez also won. The congressmen in the first, second, fourth and fifth districts have been reelected and two new ones were elected – Albee Benitez of the 3rd District and Atty. Mercedes Alvarez of the 6th district. Silay City Mayor Oti Montelibano won over former Mayor Carlo Gamban with only ten votes and Silaynons are bewildered. Mayor Eric Saratan was reelected besting Cong. Kako Lacson who wanted the post after graduating from the Congress. The prime story was in Bacolod which had two suspenseful days of agonizing wait because the Election Registrar, Atty. Ryan Castro, wanted to stop the canvassing when 176 PCOS machine failed to transmit and some teachers failed to bring the memory card to the canvassing center. This was funny, because while the outlying towns and barangays had already transmitted, Bacolod which was the center of communication had no signal, not even inside the BAYS Center, while nearby buildings had clear signals, creating a suspicion that somebody was jamming the transmission to prevent the results from coming in. There was clearly intent to delay the proclamation. Castro hedged and hedged giving rise to suspicion that the rumor that P5 million changed hands to delay, if not prevent, the proclamation of Dr. Anthony Golez, Mayor Bing Leonardia and Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson on May 10 or 11 to allow some operators to tinker with the will of the people of Bacolod in favor of some candidates. Early yesterday morning, Atty. Alex Espino said that Monico Puentevella had left for Manila to secure an injunction from the Comelec, but Alex explained that this was impossible to secure because the law prohibits pre-proclamation protests and an injunction is granted only by the Comelec en banc when there is proof that the board of canvassers was unduly constituted which was not the case. Another delay in the canvassing was the “missing” or “misplaced” memory cards which should have been submitted to the board personally when transmission could not be made electronically. This situation was used by Castro to stop the canvassing in the midst of protest and possible mob action. Only the intervention of Provincial Comelec Supervisor, Atty. Jesse Suarez (many blessings be showered upon him) came and retrieved the cards from the PCOS machines from the Comelec warehouse, which Castro should have done in the first place. Had not Atty. Suarez come into the picture there could have been a riot at the canvassing center without anyone knowning what could have happened to Castro and his vice chairman, Atty. Abanado (is this the right name?) who is known to have been appointed through the recommendations of Monico Puentevella. Thus, by seven yesterday morning, the canvassing could no longer be stayed and by eight, the canvassing was completed. The proclamation took place just about eleven in the morning. When Bing entered the Center, there were rousing cheers and repeated shouts of “Mayor Bing”. The same thing happened when Anthony Golez arrived. They were both mobbed by the cheering crowd. The proclamation was done amid shouts and cheers once the name of the winning Grupo Progreso candidate for councilor was called. On the other hand, there were jeers and boos when the name of a winning MONOPAL candidate for councilor was called. Clearly, it was a highly partisan and excited crowd that drowned the words of Castro as he called one winner after another. The shouts grew louder and longer when Bing’s name was called while his campaign song was played with the crowd taking part in singing “Nobody, Nobody but Bing” with higher pitch with “Bing.” The same thing happened for Golez. So congratulations are in order for the winners in Bacolod. While I can understand the clear show of partisanship of the crowd, I had hoped that they would be more generous to the winners in the other party because, after all, they too, were elected by the people. El Cid Familiaran who had been the No. 13 in two previous elections made the best show because now he is No. 1. His late father, Bilding who had wanted to be councilor but never did must be happy in heaven.* Visayan Daily Star
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