Zambales town mayor unseated

SAN ANTONIO, Zambales – The court has unseated the mayor of San Antonio town after finding him guilty of violating the term limit rule under the Omnibus Election Code.

With such a violation, Judge Consuelo Bocar of the 3rd Judicial Region Branch 71 ruled that the certificate of candidacy of Mayor Romeo Lonzanida during the May 2007 local elections was effectively cancelled.

In a 16-page ruling, Bocar noted that Lonzanida has served as mayor of San Antonio town from 1988 to the present, as testified by key local officials such as the municipal auditor, treasurer and budget officer and other witnesses, in clear violation of Section 8, Article X of the Constitution and Section 43 (b) of the Local Government Code. – Ric Sapnu