Hagedorn tops Princesa recall poll

Former mayor Edward Hagedorn topped Monday’s mayoral recall election in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, defeating the incumbent and a second candidate.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec), however, cannot proclaim Hagedorn winner because the Supreme Court, the other day, stopped it from doing so until further orders from the tribunal.

In a two-page resolution, the High Court gave way to the petition of three Puerto Princesa residents — Ma. Flores Adovo, Mercy Gilo and Bienvenido Ollave Sr. — for a temporary restraining order on the proclamation of the winner.

In their petition, Adovo, Gilo and Ollave said Hagedorn should not have been allowed to run in the recall election because he has already served three terms as mayor.

The official Comelec count shows Hagedorn topping the recall poll with 20,059 votes, followed by Mayor Victorino Dennis Socrates with 17,166, and Vicente Sandoval with 13,033 votes.

In the tally of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), Hagedorn got 16,975 votes; Socrates, 14,891; and Sandoval, 11,212.

Talibert Laoc, Namfrel executive director, said they are just waiting for the Supreme Court to rule whether Hagedorn was qualified to run in the recall election or not.

Laoc said Socrates will be proclaimed winner if the High Court decides against Hagedorn’s candidacy.

Pending the tribunal’s ruling, Socrates will continue to sit as mayor of Puerto Princesa City, Laoc said.