Editorial
Never-ending conflict
The winning candidates in the province of Antique will finally be proclaimed this week after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division dismissed the pre-proclamation protest filed by gubernatorial candidate former assemblyman Arturo Pacificador who had asked for the suspension of canvassing of votes for governor and the proclamation of the winner in the gubernatorial race.
The ruling then ordered the creation of a new Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBOC) to finish the canvassing and eventually proclaim the winning candidates in the province. All except one—that is, Rep. Exequiel Javier—has yet to be proclaimed as a result of Pacificador's pre-proclamation protest.
It came to a surprise, however, that the Comelec relieved the former PBOC composed of provincial election supervisor Gil Barcenal, provincial prosecutor Atty. Napoleon Abiera and schools superintendent Corazon Brown. They were replaced with a new PBOC composed of the top officials of Comelec in the region. The new PBOC is now composed of Comelec-6 regional director Atty. Renato Magbutay, his assistant Atty. Tomas Valera and Iloilo provincial election supervisor Atty. Elizabeth Doronila.
Does the recomposition of the PBOC mean that the Comelec First Division doubted the partiality of the previous PBOC? Well, it's resolution did not state any reason for the recomposition.
What is important now is that the political impasse in the province has been put to an end. Anytime this week the winning candidates in Antique province will already be proclaimed.
Apparently, the pre-proclamation conflict gives us a first glance of Antique politics in the next three years. With almost the same politicians occupying the major positions in the province, Antiqueños should expect continued political bickering which could put the province in a bad light.