Calinog mayor refuses to step down
A town mayor in Iloilo province refuses to step down from his position although he lost to his opponent in an election case, triggering calls for him to respect the rule of law.
I’m still the mayor of Calinog, Mayor Salvador Divinagracia declared Friday, a day after Provincial Election Supervisor, lawyer Elizabeth Doronila served upon him a writ of execution and Alex Centena was sworn into office as the new local chief executive.
“On Monday, I will still be reporting to my office. I intend to exercise my functions as the mayor,” he told The News Today in a phone interview.
Divinagracia said he would not hesitate to stop Centena from entering the town hall if the latter attempts to exercise the functions of the mayor.
He pointed out that the writ of execution orders him to cease exercising the functions of the office of the vice-mayor.
“I cannot comply with the order of the writ of the execution because I am no longer the occupying the position of vice mayor,” said Divinagracia, who succeeded Mayor Teodoro Lao when the latter died while the election case filed by Centena was pending before the Regional Trial Court.
Divinagracia brushed aside the induction of Centena.
“He can do what he wants to do, he can even take his oath before the devil for all I care,” he said.
Divinagracia said he does not recognize the legality of the decision of the Comelec and the corresponding writ of execution, calling it ‘highly irregular.’ He has already elevated the Comelec ruling to the Supreme Court, raising several legal issues.
Meanwhile, Centena called on Divinagracia to respect the law.
“Let us follow the rule of law. I’m the legal mayor,” he said in a text message.
Centena said that the Department of Interior and Local Government recognizes him as the lawful mayor of Calinog.
With this, he said, I can hold office anywhere because Divinagracia refuses to vacate the premises of the town hall.
Centena said that he would inform the employees of the municipal government at the start of the week of his assumption as mayor.
Divinagracia and Centena faced off against each other for vice mayor in the 2007 elections. Divinagracia was proclaimed, though Centena filed an election contest.
But in a January 26, 2009 decision of the Commission on Elections, the en banc ruled that Centena won over Divinagracia by 11 votes.
Friday morning, Divinagracia and his supporters barricaded the town hall to prevent Centena from taking over.