Criminal, admin raps up vs Antique canvassers
Antique Gov. Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez has filed a criminal complaint before the former members of the provincial board of canvassers (PBOC) of Antique for the delay in the proclamation of the winning candidates in the province.
In a seven-page criminal complaint filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last Friday, Perez along with provincial board member-elect Alfonso Combong Jr. charged the PBOC members of violating Sections 72, 231 and 264 of the Omnibus Election Code.
The respondents include provincial election supervisor Gil Barcenal, provincial prosecutor Napoleon Abiera and schools superintendent Corazon Brown.
The Comelec's First Division last week had relieved the respondents as members of the PBOC and formed a new one (See related story on page 3). It also ordered the resumption of canvassing of votes and the proclamation of winning candidates of the province.
Perez and Combong said in their complaint that the respondents "unlawfully and feloniously failed and refused to proclaim complainants as winning candidates as Governor and Member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan."
The complainants pointed out that the PBOC "erroneously refused" to proclaim them based on the disqualification case filed by former assemblyman Arturo Pacificador.
They said in their complaint that based on Section 72 of the Omnibus Election Code, disqualification cases shall not prevent the proclamation and assumption to office of a winning candidate.
Perez said in an interview that they are also readying an administrative compliant against the PBOC members to be filed before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Barcenal said he is unaware of the criminal complaint but maintained that the delay in proclamation was caused by Pacificador's appeal before the Comelec office in Manila.
Abiera said it was only on June 7 that the Comelec First Division dismissed Pacificador's appeal on a pre-proclamation case he filed questioning election returns from 15 of the province’s 18 municipalities.
"We were merely following rules and procedures respecting the rights of all parties," Abiera said in a telephone interview.
He said they even ruled in favor of Perez's camp when they dismissed Pacificador's protest before the PBOC which prompted the appeal filed before the Comelec office in Manila.
Western Visayas governors on Saturday issued a manifesto in support of Perez and calling on the PBOC to reconvene and proclaim her as the winning gubernatorial candidate.
"The people of Antique have spoken, and the mandate the have given Governor Perez is loud and clear. Any delay in her proclamation will undermine and thwart the will of the people and thereby destroy the electoral process as our democratic way of choosing our leaders," said the governors in their manifesto.
It was signed by Governors Niel Tupas Sr. (Iloilo), Joseph Maranon (Negros Occidental), Carlito Marquez (Aklan) and Governor-elect Victor Tanco (Capiz). Perez said Guimaras Governor-elect Felipe Nava is out of the country.