Comelec approves Baguio recall elections

BAGUIO CITY — The move to unseat Baguio City Mayor Braulio Yaranon is one step up.

Meeting en banc on Feb. 28, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved petition for recall filed by Godofredo Cawaing and five others against Yaranon.

Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos and Commissioners Rex Borra, Florentino Tuason and Romeo Brawnerhas ordered the preparation of the guidelines and activities for the recall election.

Yaranon is yet to issue any public statement on the Comelec ruling although earlier he simply brushed aside the recall move. He was confident that he would win over his critics should an election push through.

The recall petition was signed by some 42,000 voters here, which many see as a manifestation of "loss of confidence" on the mayor, who is a 78-year-old former Regional Trial Court judge in La Union.

The 42,108 signatories is way above the mandated 15 percent of Baguio’s 149,000 voting population.

Comelec is set to verify the 22,751 signatures certified by Comelec-Baguio as "registered voters."

Comelec-Baguio Officer Maribel Uminga also certified that the petitioners were able to comply with other requirements such as payment of the P30,000 filing fee and certifications from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Statistics Office.

The Comelec, however, said en banc that preparations for the recall elections that needs to be undertaken by the office of the deputy executive director for operations are subject to the availability of funds.

Government must appropriate some P5 million for Baguio’s recall polls.