PDP-Barug gets majority in council: ‘Panday’ is back

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, who placed 10th in the last elections, is set to grabe a seat in the City Council.

This, after Councilor Sisinio Andales, who placed fifth in the May polls, failed to secure a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the implementation of the cancellation of his candidacy in the last elections.

The failure to secure a TRO has resulted in the issuance of Certificate of Finality of Judgment by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) En Banc that earlier disqualified Andales from running for the same position which he has served for three consecutive terms already.

“The Resolution of the Commission En Banc dated 27 June 2019 is hereby declared final and executory,” read a portion of the certification issued yesterday.

Garganera’s return further tilts the political spectrum in the City Council, as the administration is set to get 10 councilors, as opposed to the opposition’s eight legislators.

Also yesterday, the camp of Allen Canoy, who had asked the Comelec to disqualify Andales, filed a motion for execution of judgment.

North District Election Officer Atty. Marchel Sarno said the writ of execution from the Comelec en banc is needed for the candidate who ranked tenth to be proclaimed and eventually replace Andales.

The Comelec en banc came up with the final and executory decision after Andales failed to secure a TRO from the SC within the five-day regulatory period.

No TRO issued

Andales received the copy of the en banc decision last June 28. He failed to secure the TRO within the five-day period which lapsed last Wednesday.

In a phone interview, Andales may have accepted the same fate as former City Councilor Alvin Arcilla, who was also disqualified from running for the same position.

“Anyway, that will not bar the Supreme Court from looking into the merits of the case. Bisan walay TRO, padayon paman na ang case. Mas maayo matuki ang merits sa case,” Andales told The FREEMAN.

Should the writ of execution be issued, Andales said he will just focus on practicing as a private lawyer in his firm.

Garganera, for his part, said he understands that his comeback got delayed because of the procedure to be followed.

“I never left. The thing speaks for itself,” he added.

Ineligible to run

To recall, Canoy filed the petition to cancel the candidacy of Arcilla and Andales who both were ineligible to run in the 2019 elections since they have been elected for the same position for three consecutive terms already: 2010-2013, 2013-2016, and 2016-2019.

The Comelec en banc ruled in favor of Canoy, as it said Andales and Arcilla exhausted their three consecutive terms as City Councilor.

For Andales and Arcilla, they believed that their terms as public officials were interrupted when they were suspended from office from May 17, 2016 to June 30, 2016 as ordered by the Office of the President due to the distribution of P20,000 calamity aid to City Hall employees.

Andales ranked fifth in the last elections of the north district.  Arcilla ranked sixth.

Guardo, who placed ninth in the last elections, has already replaced Arcilla in the city council.  Guardo was proclaimed last Monday, a day before the inaugural session of the Cebu City Council.

Garganera will be an addition for the administration bloc at the legislative body.

If Garganera will be proclaimed, the Partido Barug-PDP Laban will have 10 councilors, while the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan will have eight councilors.

Those who are with Partido Barug include Garganera, Prisca Niña Mabatid, Raymond Alvin Garcia, Donaldo Hontiveros, Eduardo Rama, Antonio Cuenco, Renato Osmeña Jr., Phillip Zafra, and Councilors David Tumulak and Guardo who had earlier expressed support for Labella.

On the other hand, BOPK will have Councilors Nestor Archival, Joy Augustus Young, Lea Japson, Alvin Dizon, Eugenio Gabuya, Jr., Yayoy Alcoseba, ex-officio members Association of Barangay Councils President Franklyn Ong and Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Jessica Resch.

The Partido Barug-PDP Laban already secured 23 of 25 chairmanships and memberships of the City Council being the majority bloc. (FREEMAN)