Officials' row hangs Antique proclamation
Opposing camps in the Province of Antique identified with Lone District Congressman Exequiel Javier and Governor Sally Zaldivar-Perez continue to battle it out before the Provincial Board of Canvassers.
As such, with the rest of the region already clear with complete sets of new and reelected provincial officials, Antique counterparts remain unproclaimed.
Not even the recent ruling of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that orders the continued conduct of the canvassing and eventual proclamation of winners was heeded here. In fact, the very issue addressed by Comelec Resolution 8062 failed to resolve the heightened controversy in as far as gubernatorial post and members of the Provincial Board are concerned.
As provided by the Commission, no pending and unresolved disqualification case can stop official proclamations nor the canvassing of results. Two exceptions were however cited -- illegal composition of the board of canvassers and failure of elections -- both not applicable in the case of Antique.
Late Friday morning would have been the official proclamation where at least a thousand of supporters from both camps flocked the old Capitol building. The News Today (TNT) in a report gathered that heads of offices and provincial employees also stood as audience in what was described as a "jampacked, standing-room-only" building.
If based on initial results of all 18 towns here, the lady governor along with her five allied board members would have been proclaimed. However even before any initial move was made, the camp identified with the Congressman manifested strong objection.
The issue argued again was the disqualification case filed against the lady governor.
As a result of the fuss, Comelec Provincial Election Supervisor Gil Barcenal called for the postponement anew. An informant told TNT that Provincial Prosecutor Napoleon Abierra was even heckled by the crowd and "booed" loudly when overheard to have commented about being an independent body that not even the Comelec would have a say on its decision.
Lawyer Guillermo "Boy" Alcantara, lead counsel of the governor's legal team posed questions on the postponement while seeking for legal basis.
"If there is one as contained in Comelec Resolution 8062 or any other Comelec Resolution for that matter, we will yield. We are willing to yield but then there is none," he said in apparent frustration.
TNT learned that the Perez disqualification case has not even been raffled off to any investigating body in the Central office of the Comelec.