Official notice on Centena victory reaches Capitol
Official notification has been made to the Capitol yesterday on the assumption into office of Alex Centena as the rightful mayor of Calinog, Iloilo.
This, as defiance continued in said town led by unseated vice mayor turned mayor Salvador Divinagracia and a number of supporters.
Centena furnished both Executive and Legislative departments of the Iloilo Provincial Government stating his assumption as Calinog Chief Executive.
In support of his notification were copies of his Executive Order (EO) No.1, Oath of Office as vice mayor and Oath of Office as Municipal Mayor.
To note, the contested seat was actually for vice mayor with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) eventually ruling En Banc that Centena is the rightful winner. Calinog Mayor Teodoro Lao though passed away thus the rule of succession.
Further still, the Capitol is now also in official receipt of the letter from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) that laid to rest questions on who is the real Calinog mayor. The DILG used as reference the Comelec memorandum of Provincial Election Supervisor Elizabeth Doronila stating that Writ of Execution was served to Divinagracia last Wednesday.
“In view thereof, please be informed that this Department hereby RECOGNIZES your incumbency as Mayor of Calinog, Iloilo,” excerpts of the DILG letter went signed by Regional Director Evelyn Trompeta.
To recall, the Comelec Second Division ruled back in July 2008 that Centena was the duly elected vice mayor with a total of 8,130 votes against Divinagracia’s 8,122 votes.
In January of this year, the Comelec En Banc affirmed en toto the Second Division ruling.
It was then March 4th that a Writ of Execution was issued directing the Provincial Election Supervisor to implement the order.
Further still was the order for Divinagracia to cease and desist from discharging powers and functions of the office as vice mayor. Divinagracia was ordered too to relinquished and vacate the said office in favor of Centena and “cause the smooth turn- office..”
It was the technicality now of the Writ of Execution that Divinagracia remains defiant and held on to his post.
In media interviews, Divinagracia questioned the Comelec’s move saying the order identified him as the vice mayor when he was actually serving as mayor.
Centena took his oath before Judge Rene Hortillo of Branch 31, 6th Regional Trial Court (RTC).