14 Pangasinan election officers reshuffled

DAGUPAN CITY — Fourteen election officers in Pangasinan were reshuffled effective the other day.

Lawyer Reddy Balarbar, acting provincial supervisor of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), told The STAR that three of the election officers voluntarily sought their transfer because they have relatives running for local positions.

He said the revamp was in line with Section 12 of Comelec Resolution 669 and a Comelec memorandum.

Among those affected by the revamp were election officers Winsor Calugay, Evangeline de la Rosa and Amelia Olores of the towns of Urbiztondo, Agno and Bani, respectively.

Olores and De la Rosa swapped positions, while Calugay requested Lorna Lopo, election officer of Sta. Barbara town, for an exchange of postings.

Balarbar, former election officer of San Carlos City, also relinquished his post to Flora Marie Gonzales of Villasis town.

Veronica Tabelin, of Sto. Tomas, is now in Villasis, while her assistant, Daniel Mendita, took over as acting election officer of Sto. Tomas.

Lawyer Remarque Ravanzo, formerly assigned in San Fabian town, is now in Dagupan City. His former post was taken over by Priscilla Domagas, formerly assigned in Malasiqui town.

Domagas’ post, meanwhile, was taken over by German Balolong, formerly stationed in Calasiao.

Juan Valencia Jr., assigned in Mangaldan, took over Balolong’s post. Cecelia Castro of Mapandan is now in Mangaldan, while Roda Czarina Peralta, assistant election officer of Mapandan, is now the town’s acting election officer.

Jinky Tabag, former assistant election officer of Balungao town, is now the election officer of San Nicolas.

Meanwhile, six places in Pangasinan were recommended to be declared "areas of immediate concern." They are the towns of San Nicolas, Tayug, Natividad, Bugallon and Binmaley, and San Carlos City.

Augmentation troops from the provincial and regional police mobile units have been deployed in most of these areas to defuse tension among rival political camps.