MAY 24 –– 30, 2010

STATUS QUO AT CAPITOL

By Gerry T. Pagharion

     ROXAS CITY –– There will be little changes at the provincial Capitol insofar as the reshuffling of government heads and employees is concerned, according to reelected Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco, Sr.

     The governor’s media handlers,  Capitol media bureau chief Edward Basilonia and his assistant Allen Hervias, told reporters that some vacant posts will have to be filled in by interested applicants.  But the governor is not about to rock the boat, they said.

     In radio interviews shortly after  records showed he won overwhelmingly in the gubernatorial contest  over his rival Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante last May 10, Tanco bared that the acquisition of heavy equipment, health care, education, implementation of infrastructure projects, tourism and employment remain as his top priorities.

     Tourism under Tanco’s care has become “alive and kicking”  with the holding of regional, local and national events during his first term in office.

     He would, as he had done so during his first term, again call all sectors of society to a strategic planning workshop as part of his agenda during his 100 days in office.

     To upgrade the status of roads and other infrastructure facilities in Capiz, Tanco said  the Province would acquire additional heavy equipment out of the credit facilities of the provincial government with the Land Bank of the Philippines.

     Likewise concreting of provincial roads will also be implemented, again to be funded by the aforesaid credit facilities.

     In the area of health, the governor said the  hospital bed capacity at the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital would be increased, among other things.

     The governor also bared that the Ivisan-Basiao provincial road’s concreting will be hastened up as part of  his administration’s  tourism program. 

     The Basiao and Balaring beaches are among the cleanest beaches in the country and offer scenic  and  paronamic views for tourists and guests.

     Aside from increasing the number of provincial government scholars, Tanco said he would also push for a review of some courses suited for students.

     To boost employment, the governor said he would try to invite investors to put up businesses, like call centers in Capiz. 

MAY 17 –– 23, 2010

Celino is new city mayor; Tanco trounces Bolante

By  WOW FENEQUITO-DADULA and GERRY T. PAGHARION

       ROXAS CITY –– Leading by  a slight margin of  691 votes, former city vice mayor Alan Celino won the hotly-contested mayoral race here over  reelectionist Mayor Vicente Bermejo in the country’s  first-ever automated national  elections  May 10.

       Backed by the powerful machinery of the Liberal Party (LP), Celino, who exuded confidence and lots of positive energy, garnered  33,122 votes  over Bermejo of the Ugyon Kita Capiz, who chalked up   32,431 votes. (Please see complete list of winning candidates and their corresponding votes on page 4.)

 TEARS OF JOY

        Celino    shed “tears of joy” shortly after his  proclamation  for what his supporters described as his “sweet victory.”

       Celino’s win ended Bermejo’s more than two-decades stint in local politics and put a halt to his continuous winning streak during elections.

       Bermejo had served as mayor of Panay town for 10 years, one year of which he spent as OIC when he was appointed in 1986 by President Corazon Aquino to the post under her so-called revolutionary government.

       At the end of his term as Panay mayor, he ran for and won the Capiz governorship in 1998 under the LP and was subsequently reelected to the same post in the succeeding two elections.

GETTING LP’s IRE

       Bermejo got the ire of the LP in Capiz  months before the May 10 elections after he  declared his support to Ugyon Kita Capiz gubernatorial candidate, the controversial  former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante  who figured in the alleged  P723-million fertilizer fund fiasco months before the 2004 elections.

       He further alienated himself from the LP  when he  indicated his nonsupport to his then LP allies, first termers  Gov. Victor Tanco Sr.,  city vice mayor Ronnie Dadivas and Capiz first district Rep. Antonio del Rosario.

       Bermejo’s political decision did not sit well with Sen. Mar Roxas and his mother, Judy Araneta-Roxas, deemed pillars of the LP in Capiz.

 ROXAS CLAN UNITE

       Feeling betrayed and badly hurt by Bermejo’s stance, the senator and his mother, who claimed to be responsible for Bermejo’s successful foray into Capiz politics, fielded Celino to run against Bermejo.

       The whole Roxas clan (including Mar’s sister Ria Roxas-Ojeda) also  vowed to ensure the defeat of Bermejo and those who betrayed the LP.

       In one occasion,  Senator Roxas even  declared that he would not hesitate to borrow the inheritance of his sister, Ria, if only to ensure the defeat of his erstwhile political allies who turned their backs on him and supported Bolante.

 MORE LP’S TRIUMPH

       Bolante himself lost in his bid for Capitol post to incumbent Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco, Sr. of the LP, who won  by a margin of 68,425 votes.

       Bolante got 121,176 votes as against Tanco’s 189,501 votes.

       Another gubernatorial bet, Zenon E. Amoroso, got 2,329 votes.

       Bermejo’s running-mate, councilor Dennis Altobano, who got 21,865 votes also lost to incumbent city vice mayor Ronnie Dadivas with 39,940 votes or a margin of 18,075 votes.

       The four-cornered first district congressional fight was dominated by Del Rosario with 77,584 votes followed by Felipe Barredo (UKC) with 45,859 votes.

       Former Capiz first district congressman Rodriguez Dadivas got 41,205 votes while Conrado Tinsay II had 1,397 votes.

 IT’S STILL CASTRO

       In the second district congressional race, Jane Tan-Castro (Lakas), wife of last term Rep. Fredenil Castro got 109,147 votes  against former PNP chief Roberto Lastimoso’s 44,321 votes.

       For vice governor, incumbent board member Esteban Evan Contreras of the LP won over former city councilor Mark Anthony G. Ortiz (UKC) edging him out by 47,130 votes.

       Contreras received 170,340 votes while Ortiz, 123,210 votes. 

       Meanwhile, Celino and his running-mate, reelectionist vice mayor Ronnie Dadivas were proclaimed by the city  Commission on Election    supervisor Joemar  Betita in the early   morning  of    May 11.

SICAD TOPS RACE

       In the hotly-contested city council race, incumbent city councilor Erwin Sicad (LP) maintained the top position with 35,536 votes.

       Former city councilor Teresa Almalbis (UKC) was No. 2 with 34,874 votes.

       Powell    Del Rosario (LP) was third with 33,166 votes followed by Barangay Talon chairman Matthew James Viterbo (LP) with 29,119 votes.

       Other candidates who made it to the Council were Jennifer Ann Anisco (LP), 27,419 votes; re-electionist city councilor Jose Agdalipe with 24,925 votes; Erlynne Lim, 24,328 votes; Emmanuel Billones Jr. with 24,155 votes; re-electionist city councilor Carla Abela with 22,792 votes and former city prosecutor Julius Abela with 22,641 votes.

       Of those who ran for councilor under the ticket of UKC, only three managed to survive the LP’s wrath.  They are Almalbis, Agdalipe and Carla Abela.

MAY 10 –– 16, 2010

Capelco on ‘red alert’ on election day

   ROXAS CITY –– The Capiz Electric Cooperative (CAPELCO) has assured of a stable power supply in the province for the upcoming May 10 national and local elections.

   “Power supply will continue as long as there is no problem from our suppliers,” CAPELCO Public Information Officer Kenneth Tipon clarified.

   The cooperative will also maximize its manpower to ensure that power supply in the province will not be distracted during election.

   Earlier, Capelco general manager Engr. Edgar Diaz said that the cooperative’s linemen are not enough to the number of schools that will be utilized as voting centers “but we will try hard to deliver stable power supply.”

   The cooperative’s assurance came after the DOE has presented its power contingency plan to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to ensure “adequate and fail-safe” power supply during the election.

   Meanwhile, Malacañang is confident that Monday’s election will push through, adding it will come out as an honest, peaceful and fair political exercise.

   Several presidential spokespersons said Malacañang harbors no doubt whatsoever on the capability of the Commission on Election to settle the technical problems that surfaced during the test-runs of the automated vote counting machines.

   “Let’s give COMELEC a chance. They say they can do it so let’s respect them,” said Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar during a Malacañang press briefing.

   Olivar also called on the people to ignore “political noise” like one linking Malacañang to a possible postponement of May 10 exercise.

––(PIA/A.Lumaque)

MAY 3 –– 9, 2010

Bolante calls Magsaysay liar; demands apology

   ROXAS CITY –– Former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante called former Sen. Ramon “Jun” Magsaysay a “liar” for accusing him of signing checks and forwarding them to politicians.

   “If Magsaysay said that I signed the checks forwarded to politicians who were recipients of the fertilizer funds, then I demand that he (Magsaysay) immediately present even just once check or a check number to prove his allegation,” Bolante said.

   “I am certain that I never signed a single check in favor of any one out of the P728-million fertilizer funds. I challenge him to show proof that I indeed signed checks. That is absolutely false, a cheap fabricated information,” he stressed.

   He explained that the said fund was released by different regional offices of the Department of Agriculture (DA) after they have validated the projects of the local government units concerned.

   “The Commission on Audit and the DA reports are very clear on this fact. Thus Magsaysay should be ashamed for lying. It is a cheap character assassination and desperate politics. He should apologize to the people for lying, for instigating anger thru use of false information,” Bolante said.

   If he could not produce proof, Bolante said Magsaysay should issue a public apology.

   Bolante earlier said the fertilizer fund scandal issue has become a “broken record” which he had already answered squarely for several times.

“I already answered all the allegations several times over the radio, television, newspapers and even in public fora. But my detractors keep on reiterating the issue,” he said.

   Bolante challenged anew his detractors to find evidence that he pocketed the funds. He insisted that not a single centavo went to his pocket.