House probe sought into Compostela mess

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu fifth district Rep. Ramon "Red" Durano urged the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability to investigate the "highly irregular actions" of the Commission on Elections and the Department of Interior and Local Government regarding the plight of the people of Compostela who have no mayor until now.

Rep. Durano, in his privilege speech, denounced the Comelec for its unjust, oppressive and reckless acts against his constituents in Compostela town.

According to Durano, since July 6, 2010, none of those duly proclaimed mayor, vice mayor and council members have been allowed to perform their functions by the Comelec and the DILG.

Instead of the duly proclaimed officials, Durano said the Municipality of Compostela has been under the control and supervision of a caretaker designated by the DILG in the person of DILG-7 regional director Pedro Noval.

Durano also said that the ruling of Comelec 2nd Division commissioner Nicodemus Ferrer suspending the proclamation of mayoralty candidate Joel Quiño, his vice mayor and seven councilors of the town is highly irregular for many reasons.

For one, Durano said the ruling was rendered without any hearing and the respondent was not given any notice nor given a copy of the motion.

He also said contrary to the rules of the Comelec, it was only Ferrer who made the ruling. The other members of the Comelec 2nd Division did not affix their signa-tures, nor is there proof that they participated in its discussion.

What is even worse, Durano said, is that the order of suspension against the said officials was made effective despite a pending motion for reconsideration duly filed by Quiño, and the rules of the Comelec state that the filing of a motion of reconsideration of a ruling, resolution, or order suspends the execution of the order.

He said the town of Compostela is in a sorry state with the town's treasury nearing bankruptcy, some parts without electricity and the peace and order deteriorating.

For all intents and purposes, Durano said the Comelec is dragging its feet on the case, when decency and justice require that the said resolution should have been acted with dispatch.

"I also call on this August body that after the investigation, and when evidence so warrant, to cause the filing of appropriate charges for gross ignorance of the law, as well as graft and corrupt practices against those responsible, including the filing of the necessary impeachment proceedings against impeachable officials concerned," Durano said.

Noval continues to sit as officer-in-charge of Compostela while the Comelec has yet to resolve the issues of Quiño and his rival for the mayoralty, Ritchie Wagas.

Some residents in the town are complaining that the lack of a chief executive there has affected the delivery of basic services. -/BRP (FREEMAN)